Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Lusaka Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Lusaka

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $855 in Lusaka.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,450 in Lusaka.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $2,045 in Lusaka.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 168% more expensive than in Lusaka, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Lusaka is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$7.01 ZMW 128

130.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$24.68 ZMW 449

156.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$3.70 ZMW 67.3

178.92%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$1.93 ZMW 35.10

46.63%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €2.01

$0.67 ZMW 12.24

241.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.34 ZMW 6.16

364.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$0.94 ZMW 17.14

261.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$1.84 ZMW 33.48

119.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$1.33 ZMW 24.30

-18.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$0.80 ZMW 14.63

118.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.58 ZMW 28.69

11.39%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$1.77 ZMW 32.25

79.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$7.92 ZMW 144

66.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$3.78 ZMW 68.8

110.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$4.74 ZMW 86.2

227.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$2.57 ZMW 46.79

-7.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.57 ZMW 28.62

8.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$2.71 ZMW 49.35

-25.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$1.16 ZMW 21.15

109.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.80 ZMW 32.84

-2.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.33 ZMW 24.17

52.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.92 ZMW 16.80

108.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.51 ZMW 9.37

66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$2.54 ZMW 46.29

159.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$10.63 ZMW 194

-47.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.09 ZMW 19.75

22.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$1.57 ZMW 28.52

89.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.96 ZMW 17.51

137.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$39.17 ZMW 713

16.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$2.78 ZMW 50.7

52.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$1.17 ZMW 21.32

-30.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$9.20 ZMW 167

100.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.19 ZMW 21.75

74.79%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$34.7K €30.4K

$7,891 ZMW 143.6K

339.36%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$39.2K €34.3K

$28.4K ZMW 517.4K

37.74%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$148 €130

$90.7 ZMW 1,651

63.21%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$20.46 €17.92

$53.4 ZMW 972

-61.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$123 ZMW 2,239

-67.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$45.44 ZMW 827

5.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

$13.65 ZMW 248

36.26%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$4.25 ZMW 77.4

116.94%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$616 €540

$178 ZMW 3,232

246.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$9,462 ZMW 172.2K

73.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$18.67 ZMW 340

450.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$17.20 ZMW 313

142.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$84.5 ZMW 1,539

12.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$72.2 ZMW 1,314

68.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$228 ZMW 4,157

614.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$125 ZMW 2,273

886.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$1,028 ZMW 18.7K

201.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$593 ZMW 10.8K

242.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$1,886 ZMW 34.3K

315.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$14.2K ZMW 258.2K

-69.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$287 ZMW 5,215

460.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

-84.76%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Lusaka: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $228 in Lusaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 461% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $25.00 in Lusaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $178 per month, with Lusaka cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Lisbon vs Lusaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Lusaka differ by about 168% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $855 including rent). Lusaka is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 461% higher in Lisbon, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $228 in Lusaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $178 in Lusaka. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $855 in Lusaka versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lusaka but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Lusaka the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Lusaka are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Lusaka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 168% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.