Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Mbabane Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Mbabane

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $739 in Mbabane.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,171 in Mbabane.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,604 in Mbabane.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 210% more expensive than in Mbabane, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Mbabane is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$3.06 SZL 50.7

429.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$28.45 SZL 471

122.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$2.23 SZL 36.92

362.78%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$1.90 SZL 31.46

48.95%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$0.93 SZL 15.32

146.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.55 SZL 9.14

187.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$1.70 SZL 28.07

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$1.71 SZL 28.32

135.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.03 SZL 17.10

5.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$0.73 SZL 12.03

139.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.22 SZL 20.23

44.26%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$1.71 SZL 28.22

85.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$9.18 SZL 152

43.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$4.86 SZL 80.4

63.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$5.26 SZL 87.0

195.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.50 SZL 24.76

58.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$0.71 SZL 11.81

140.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$0.96 SZL 15.86

109.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$1.37 SZL 22.60

77.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.01 SZL 16.72

74.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.28 SZL 21.19

58.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.53 SZL 8.74

262.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.76 SZL 12.60

11.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$2.58 SZL 42.73

155.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$5.92 SZL 98.0

-5.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.49 SZL 24.62

-10.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$1.38 SZL 22.86

115.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$1.13 SZL 18.75

101.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

$29.44 SZL 487

55.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$3.39 SZL 56.0

24.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$2.66 SZL 44.05

-69.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$3.40 SZL 56.3

442.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.13 SZL 18.65

84.07%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$16.9K SZL 279.6K

105.11%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$21.3K SZL 351.6K

84.22%

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

$148 €130

$75.8 SZL 1,254

95.37%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$34.48 SZL 570

-40.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$28.09 SZL 465

40.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$27.68 SZL 458

73.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

$5.00 SZL 82.8

272.00%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$3.53 SZL 58.4

161.19%

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

$616 €539

$109 SZL 1,796

467.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$4,599 SZL 76.1K

257.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$45.28 SZL 749

126.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$23.57 SZL 390

77.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$71.5 SZL 1,183

32.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$83.7 SZL 1,384

45.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$263 SZL 4,346

521.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$180 SZL 2,979

584.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$502 SZL 8,312

516.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$377 SZL 6,240

438.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

$486 SZL 8,045

1510.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

$365 SZL 6,034

1103.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

$673 SZL 11.1K

138.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

11.62

-67.21%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Mbabane: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $263 in Mbabane. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 139% 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 $28.00 in Mbabane for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $158 per month, with Mbabane 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 Mbabane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Mbabane differ by about 210% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $739 including rent). Mbabane is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 139% 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 $263 in Mbabane. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $109 in Mbabane. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 69% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $739 in Mbabane versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Mbabane but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Mbabane 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 Mbabane 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 Mbabane gentler on the wallet – expenses run 210% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.