Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Mossel Bay Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Mossel Bay

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $1,146 in Mossel Bay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,781 in Mossel Bay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $2,415 in Mossel Bay.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 98% more expensive than in Mossel Bay, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Mossel Bay is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$14.83 R 239

18.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$49.57 R 798

30.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$9.00 R 145

29.44%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$2.59 R 41.67

25.87%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$1.40 R 22.50

77.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$1.00 R 16.08

67.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$2.56 R 41.24

35.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$3.22 R 51.9

11.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.20 R 19.38

-1.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.11 R 17.88

75.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$2.74 R 44.17

-43.07%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$3.20 R 51.5

25.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$9.89 R 159

34.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$5.44 R 87.5

54.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$8.11 R 131

124.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$2.01 R 32.44

15.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.38 R 22.18

25.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.85 R 29.76

4.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.11 R 33.92

25.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.51 R 24.32

25.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.73 R 27.94

21.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.20 R 19.40

20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$1.30 R 20.99

-38.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$3.81 R 61.3

83.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$5.06 R 81.4

17.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$2.21 R 35.52

-38.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.06 R 33.13

4.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$1.56 R 25.05

52.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$0.56 R 9.07

648.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$0.96 R 15.40

14.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$8.13 R 131

112.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.47 R 23.72

53.06%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$30.0K R 483.4K

14.83%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$28.2K R 453.6K

47.76%

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

$171 €147

$113 R 1,815

51.57%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$19.07 R 307

-0.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$44.48 R 716

-22.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$22.60 R 364

119.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$15.18 R 244

28.52%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$7.62 R 123

32.55%

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

$699 €603

$267 R 4,295

162.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$5,784 R 93.2K

207.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$50.3 R 810

108.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$21.74 R 350

120.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$109 R 1,761

-6.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$69.3 R 1,115

85.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$521 R 8,390

218.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$381 R 6,131

222.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$1,058 R 17.0K

175.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$713 R 11.5K

183.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$632 R 10.2K

1186.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$643 R 10.4K

620.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$1,523 R 24.5K

6.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

11.75

-67.83%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Mossel Bay: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $521 in Mossel Bay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 6% 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: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $50.0 in Mossel Bay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $218 per month, with Mossel Bay 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 Mossel Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Mossel Bay differ by about 98% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $1,146 including rent). Mossel Bay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 6% higher in Lisbon, 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $521 in Mossel Bay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% 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 $1,146 in Mossel Bay – a 98% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,146 in Mossel Bay versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mossel Bay but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Mossel Bay 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 Mossel Bay 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 Mossel Bay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 98% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.