Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Meru Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Meru

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $517 in Meru.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $848 in Meru.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $1,178 in Meru.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 344% more expensive than in Meru, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Meru is 62% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.31

$4.60 KES 596

282.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.7

$35.36 KES 4,580

77.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.08

$6.21 KES 805

86.47%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.86 KES 370

8.39%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$0.60 KES 77.3

315.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.59 KES 76.4

194.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$2.34 KES 303

48.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$2.65 KES 344

29.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$0.82 KES 106

40.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$0.37 KES 48.36

416.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.06 KES 137

41.51%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$1.40 KES 181

184.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.57

$10.63 KES 1,377

25.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.97

$6.27 KES 812

27.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.70

$4.89 KES 633

268.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$3.23 KES 419

-27.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.52

$0.75 KES 96.8

133.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$0.80 KES 104

131.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$0.74 KES 95.2

244.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.60

$1.09 KES 141

68.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$0.99 KES 128

112.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.29

$0.24 KES 31.11

520.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.40 KES 52.2

105.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.18

$3.55 KES 460

100.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.14

$11.36 KES 1,472

-47.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.14

$2.29 KES 297

-42.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.85

$2.85 KES 369

-25.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.57

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$1.55 KES 201

163.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$1.53 KES 198

-25.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.88

$2.85 KES 369

499.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.52 KES 197

51.97%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$21.9K KES 2.8M

55.92%

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

$41.4K €36.0K

$20.2K KES 2.6M

105.23%

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

$169 €147

$63.1 KES 8,171

167.16%

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

$19.33 €16.82

$15.47 KES 2,003

24.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.17

$35.65 KES 4,617

-6.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.50

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.91

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.33

$7.79 KES 1,009

22.85%

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

$696 €606

$247 KES 32.0K

181.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$11.8K KES 1.5M

47.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.6

$27.93 KES 3,618

276.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.56

$28.47 KES 3,687

67.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.5

$69.3 KES 8,975

45.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$57.9 KES 7,502

114.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,446

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,085

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,580

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,783

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,818

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,885

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,420

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

14.71

-74.30%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Meru: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $35.00 in Meru for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $178 per month, with Meru 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 Meru: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Meru differ by about 344% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $517 including rent). Meru is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,444 in Lisbon and $776 in Meru to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 56% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,296 per month in Lisbon versus $517 in Meru – a 344% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $517 in Meru versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Meru but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Meru 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 Meru 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 Meru gentler on the wallet – expenses run 344% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.