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: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $907 in Lusaka.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $1,534 in Lusaka.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $2,161 in Lusaka.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 155% more expensive than in Lusaka, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Lusaka is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.87

$5.70 ZMW 109

203.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$31.91 ZMW 609

98.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.79

$5.31 ZMW 101

114.50%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.74

$2.98 ZMW 57.0

7.05%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$0.82 ZMW 15.73

198.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.47 ZMW 9.02

274.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$1.36 ZMW 25.95

163.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$2.34 ZMW 44.68

44.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.86 ZMW 35.53

-33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.25 ZMW 23.79

58.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$2.19 ZMW 41.74

-30.59%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.47

$2.05 ZMW 39.17

97.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.64

$10.75 ZMW 205

25.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.21

$6.54 ZMW 125

28.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.69

$6.75 ZMW 129

170.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$3.55 ZMW 67.9

-35.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$2.50 ZMW 47.66

-30.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$3.72 ZMW 71.0

-50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$1.59 ZMW 30.34

65.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$2.74 ZMW 52.3

-29.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$1.97 ZMW 37.63

6.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.15 ZMW 21.91

25.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$0.83 ZMW 15.77

1.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$3.22 ZMW 61.4

110.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$10.52 ZMW 201

-45.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.48 ZMW 28.18

-6.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$2.47 ZMW 47.26

-10.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$1.02 ZMW 19.56

135.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.22

$52.1 ZMW 995

-10.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$2.67 ZMW 51.1

56.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.56 ZMW 29.78

-26.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.20

$5.23 ZMW 99.9

238.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.58 ZMW 30.13

46.84%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$7,791 ZMW 148.8K

353.55%

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

$41.4K €35.6K

$27.7K ZMW 529.1K

49.61%

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

$170 €146

$83.7 ZMW 1,598

103.62%

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

$19.34 €16.62

$11.07 ZMW 211

74.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.92

$56.7 ZMW 1,083

-40.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.35

$56.4 ZMW 1,076

-14.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.11

$15.97 ZMW 305

24.61%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.53

$6.37 ZMW 122

55.73%

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

$717 €617

$147 ZMW 2,802

388.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$16.6K ZMW 317.2K

5.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$24.76 ZMW 473

323.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.36

$16.00 ZMW 306

193.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €88.9

$47.84 ZMW 914

116.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$77.1 ZMW 1,472

60.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,441

$389 ZMW 7,424

331.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,093

$183 ZMW 3,492

595.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,566

$1,118 ZMW 21.3K

167.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,713

$596 ZMW 11.4K

234.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,728

$1,896 ZMW 36.2K

312.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,004

$5,285 ZMW 100.9K

-11.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,361

$336 ZMW 6,414

371.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

-86.93%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Lusaka: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $389 in Lusaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 371% 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 $32.00 in Lusaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $249 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 155% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $907 including rent). Lusaka is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 371% 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: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $389 in Lusaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $717 in Lisbon versus $147 in Lusaka. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $907 in Lusaka versus $2,316 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 155% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.