Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Manzini

For one person, living is cheaper in Manzini: $360 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $22,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Manzini

🇸🇿 Eswatini

$360

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Manzini

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Manzini actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,223 in Lisbon versus $360 in Manzini.

Lisbon $2,223
Manzini $360

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,271 in Lisbon versus $386 in Manzini.

Lisbon $3,271
Manzini $386

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,319 in Lisbon versus $412 in Manzini.

Lisbon $4,319
Manzini $412

Living in Lisbon is roughly 517% more expensive than in Manzini, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Manzini is 73% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.50 €14.67

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 €54.5

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.27 €10.03

Cappuccino

$3.06 €2.72

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

$2.26 €2.01

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.54

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 €3.02

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 €3.02

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 €1.00

$1.25 SZL 20.61

-10.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.65

$0.92 SZL 15.14

102.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 €1.36

$1.86 SZL 30.67

-17.74%

Eggs

$3.96 €3.53

$1.14 SZL 18.80

247.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.76 €11.35

$7.44 SZL 122

71.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.02

$2.93 SZL 48.26

169.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.97 €15.09

$1.85 SZL 30.52

817.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 €2.02

$1.38 SZL 22.72

64.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

$0.63 SZL 10.35

177.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

$0.76 SZL 12.55

143.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.57 €2.28

$0.46 SZL 7.65

458.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.65

$0.62 SZL 10.13

200.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 €1.80

$0.50 SZL 8.27

304.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.28

$0.41 SZL 6.75

251.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.73

$0.70 SZL 11.45

17.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.56 €5.83

$2.97 SZL 48.84

120.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.62 €5.00

$3.34 SZL 55.1

68.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 €1.14

$0.59 SZL 9.68

116.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 €1.84

$0.82 SZL 13.41

152.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 €2.09

$0.59 SZL 9.71

298.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.18 €39.30

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 €3.55

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 €0.97

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.64 €14.81

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.03

$1.35 SZL 22.19

68.89%

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

$33.7K €30.0K

$16.6K SZL 273.3K

102.76%

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

$39.3K €35.0K

$15.5K SZL 255.3K

153.31%

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

$167 €149

$72.5 SZL 1,193

131.05%

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

$18.80 €16.72

$11.91 SZL 196

57.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.09 €29.43

$30.58 SZL 503

8.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.01 €40.93

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.19 €17.07

Cinema Ticket

$9.84 €8.75

$3.74 SZL 61.5

163.10%

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

$677 €602

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K €15.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €90.1

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 €40.70

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100.0 €88.9

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €109

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 €1,436

$180 SZL 2,968

795.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 €1,065

$119 SZL 1,959

905.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,862 €2,545

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,990 €1,770

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,577 €6,740

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,307 €3,831

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,588 €1,412

$482 SZL 7,928

229.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

-61.50%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Last update for Manzini: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9%

Manzini

–

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$269 12.1%

Manzini

–

Eating Out

Lisbon

$242 10.9%

Manzini

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$219 9.9%

Manzini

–

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Manzini

–

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$66 3%

Manzini

–

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.8%

Manzini

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,614 in Lisbon and $180 in Manzini. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 230% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇸🇿 Manzini

🕒 Local time

09:26 9:26 AM

10:26 10:26 AM

1 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

110,508

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Eswatini Lilangeni SZL L

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 SZL = 6.08 USD

100 SZL = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SZL, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Eswatini Lilangeni exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 16.46 SZL (100 SZL = 6.08 USD). 1 EUR = 18.5 SZL (100 SZL = 5.4 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lisbon Manzini 8,380 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Manzini

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Manzini: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Manzini differ by about 517% in total monthly costs ($2,223 vs $360 including rent). Manzini is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 230% 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: $1,614 in Lisbon versus $180 in Manzini. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 131% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,223 per month in Lisbon versus $360 in Manzini – a 517% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $360 in Manzini versus $2,223 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Manzini but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Manzini 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 Manzini 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 Manzini gentler on the wallet – expenses run 517% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.