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: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $489 in Meru.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $822 in Meru.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $1,155 in Meru.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 366% more expensive than in Meru, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Meru is 63% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.64

$5.55 KES 717

183.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.0

$38.95 KES 5,034

62.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.05

$6.70 KES 866

55.97%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.52

$2.49 KES 322

16.87%

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

$2.29 €1.98

$0.70 KES 91.0

227.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.53 KES 68.6

183.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$2.28 KES 295

56.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.43

$2.83 KES 366

39.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$0.84 KES 108

28.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$0.41 KES 52.6

329.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$1.06 KES 137

60.38%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.81

$1.41 KES 182

130.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.47

$11.83 KES 1,528

12.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.67

$6.75 KES 873

14.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.66

$4.88 KES 631

223.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$3.09 KES 399

-26.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$0.75 KES 97.4

121.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$0.79 KES 102

155.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$0.75 KES 97.6

229.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$1.06 KES 137

68.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$0.99 KES 128

109.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$0.22 KES 28.36

795.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$0.44 KES 57.1

88.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.68

$3.07 KES 397

113.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.82

$11.46 KES 1,481

-51.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$2.30 KES 298

-42.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.60

$2.79 KES 361

7.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.66

$1.57 KES 203

169.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$1.52 KES 196

-44.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.31

$2.85 KES 369

560.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.03 KES 134

96.12%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$21.6K KES 2.8M

61.88%

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

$39.6K €34.3K

$20.1K KES 2.6M

97.57%

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

$148 €128

$34.33 KES 4,437

330.91%

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

$20.52 €17.77

$16.69 KES 2,157

22.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.23

$39.11 KES 5,055

1.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.72

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.88

$6.14 KES 794

48.21%

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

$615 €532

$201 KES 26.0K

205.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$8,069 KES 1.0M

101.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$18.42 KES 2,380

451.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.45

$23.74 KES 3,068

77.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €79.9

$65.0 KES 8,402

41.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$57.1 KES 7,385

113.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,396

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,086

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,658

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,764

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,712

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,712

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,387

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Meru: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $39.00 in Meru for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $184 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 366% in total monthly costs ($2,280 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 $3,420 in Lisbon and $734 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 45% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,280 per month in Lisbon versus $489 in Meru – a 366% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $489 in Meru versus $2,280 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 366% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.