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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $735 in Mbabane.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,154 in Mbabane.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,572 in Mbabane.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 201% more expensive than Mbabane, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Mbabane is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$2.97 SZL 48.22

435.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$28.32 SZL 460

128.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$2.25 SZL 36.55

367.11%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$1.97 SZL 32.07

45.69%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.92 SZL 14.95

143.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.58 SZL 9.47

158.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$1.73 SZL 28.06

101.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$1.73 SZL 28.02

124.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.07 SZL 17.36

6.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.74 SZL 12.00

136.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.22 SZL 19.81

44.26%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$1.71 SZL 27.72

88.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$8.95 SZL 145

50.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$4.87 SZL 79.1

62.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$5.32 SZL 86.4

198.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.47 SZL 23.83

57.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$0.75 SZL 12.19

126.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$0.95 SZL 15.36

111.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.42 SZL 23.03

73.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.06 SZL 17.18

73.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.26 SZL 20.50

58.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.52 SZL 8.48

271.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.72 SZL 11.76

9.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$2.56 SZL 41.64

158.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$5.99 SZL 97.3

-4.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.45 SZL 23.53

-5.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.43 SZL 23.24

107.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.10 SZL 17.78

115.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$29.05 SZL 472

56.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$3.33 SZL 54.1

28.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$2.64 SZL 42.89

-68.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$3.41 SZL 55.3

436.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.13 SZL 18.30

82.30%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$16.8K SZL 273.5K

103.55%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$21.1K SZL 342.3K

86.42%

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

$148 €127

$75.4 SZL 1,224

96.22%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$35.62 SZL 578

-42.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$27.46 SZL 446

44.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$27.82 SZL 452

72.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$5.13 SZL 83.4

268.81%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$3.58 SZL 58.2

156.42%

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

$614 €528

$106 SZL 1,713

481.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$4,619 SZL 75.0K

247.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$44.99 SZL 731

132.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$23.48 SZL 381

79.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$72.1 SZL 1,171

30.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$82.1 SZL 1,332

45.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$264 SZL 4,283

517.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$186 SZL 3,014

576.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$496 SZL 8,061

510.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$367 SZL 5,959

450.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$492 SZL 7,997

1483.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$362 SZL 5,871

1081.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$687 SZL 11.1K

133.54%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Mbabane: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $264 in Mbabane. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 134% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $28.00 in Mbabane for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 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 201% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $735 including rent). Mbabane is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 134% more on average, 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $264 in Mbabane. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $106 in Mbabane. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 70% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $735 in Mbabane versus $2,210 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 201% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.