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: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $489 in Meru.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $812 in Meru.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $1,136 in Meru.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 356% more expensive than Meru, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Meru is 63% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.84

$5.34 KES 689

202.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$39.12 KES 5,049

65.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$6.79 KES 876

52.87%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$2.40 KES 309

15.42%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$0.76 KES 98.2

196.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.53 KES 68.8

196.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

$2.37 KES 306

47.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

$2.82 KES 364

41.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$0.87 KES 113

24.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$0.40 KES 51.9

335.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.06 KES 137

64.15%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$1.41 KES 182

125.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$11.51 KES 1,486

16.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$6.60 KES 852

21.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

$4.98 KES 643

223.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$3.02 KES 389

-24.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$0.80 KES 103

115.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$0.80 KES 103

142.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$0.79 KES 103

221.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.03 KES 133

77.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.99 KES 128

106.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$0.24 KES 31.06

725.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.44 KES 57.3

93.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$3.14 KES 405

118.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

$11.51 KES 1,485

-49.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$2.22 KES 286

-38.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$2.81 KES 363

3.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$1.53 KES 198

166.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.49 KES 193

-44.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$2.84 KES 367

543.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$1.07 KES 138

87.85%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$21.3K KES 2.8M

65.19%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$19.7K KES 2.5M

95.65%

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

$145 €124

$34.22 KES 4,417

324.90%

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

$20.96 €17.94

$16.94 KES 2,187

23.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$38.87 KES 5,017

3.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$6.06 KES 782

49.50%

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

$607 €519

$203 KES 26.1K

199.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$8,181 KES 1.1M

99.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$18.30 KES 2,362

471.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$24.23 KES 3,127

69.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$66.2 KES 8,550

41.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$56.1 KES 7,243

111.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

14.84

-74.33%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 26, 2026

Last update for Meru: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $39.00 in Meru for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $183 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 356% in total monthly costs ($2,227 vs $489 including rent). Meru is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,341 in Lisbon and $733 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 48% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,227 per month in Lisbon versus $489 in Meru – a 356% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $489 in Meru versus $2,227 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 356% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.