Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Midrand Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Midrand

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $1,129 in Midrand.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,672 in Midrand.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $2,215 in Midrand.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 101% more expensive than in Midrand, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Midrand is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$6.00 R 96.6

192.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$31.47 R 507

104.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$3.09 R 49.81

277.02%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$1.93 R 31.10

68.91%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$1.21 R 19.45

105.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.95 R 15.35

75.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$2.21 R 35.63

57.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$2.51 R 40.49

42.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.34 R 21.54

-11.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.16 R 18.75

68.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.36 R 21.91

14.71%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$2.68 R 43.20

49.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$9.02 R 145

47.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$5.58 R 89.9

50.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$9.28 R 149

96.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$2.12 R 34.11

9.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.15 R 18.46

50.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.85 R 29.79

4.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.60 R 25.79

65.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.78 R 28.63

6.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.94 R 31.20

8.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.27 R 20.48

13.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$1.31 R 21.02

-38.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$3.52 R 56.6

99.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$5.72 R 92.2

3.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$0.99 R 15.87

37.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.23 R 19.82

74.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$1.50 R 24.15

58.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$1.02 R 16.44

310.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$0.65 R 10.41

69.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$14.76 R 238

16.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.48 R 23.86

52.03%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$34.4K R 554.2K

0.16%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$31.1K R 501.2K

33.72%

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

$171 €147

$111 R 1,794

53.41%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$24.86 R 400

-23.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$38.01 R 612

-9.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$33.74 R 543

47.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$4.85 R 78.2

302.27%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$8.49 R 137

18.96%

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

$699 €603

$184 R 2,970

279.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$5,614 R 90.4K

216.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$59.7 R 961

75.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$48.09 R 774

-0.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$87.2 R 1,404

16.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$88.1 R 1,419

45.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$500 R 8,047

232.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$463 R 7,457

165.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$862 R 13.9K

238.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$785 R 12.6K

157.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$911 R 14.7K

791.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$682 R 11.0K

579.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

10.91

-65.35%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Midrand: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $500 in Midrand. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $31.00 in Midrand for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $206 per month, with Midrand 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 Midrand: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Midrand differ by about 101% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $1,129 including rent). Midrand is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,402 in Lisbon and $1,694 in Midrand 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $500 in Midrand. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,268 per month in Lisbon versus $1,129 in Midrand – a 101% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,129 in Midrand versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Midrand but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Midrand 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 Midrand 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 Midrand gentler on the wallet – expenses run 101% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.