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: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $979 in Mossel Bay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,585 in Mossel Bay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $2,192 in Mossel Bay.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 133% more expensive than in Mossel Bay, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Mossel Bay is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.74

$13.18 R 220

19.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.3

$45.45 R 757

39.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.11

$8.23 R 137

26.97%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.54

$2.31 R 38.51

25.97%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$1.25 R 20.80

83.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.31

$0.93 R 15.43

61.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.11

$2.23 R 37.14

59.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.46

$2.72 R 45.37

45.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.07 R 17.82

0.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.03 R 17.19

70.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.48

$2.12 R 35.38

-19.81%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.83

$2.88 R 47.93

12.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.55

$8.61 R 143

53.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.72

$4.96 R 82.6

55.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.75

$7.53 R 126

109.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.99

$1.65 R 27.41

38.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.44

$1.04 R 17.32

59.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.76

$1.45 R 24.15

39.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.16

$1.87 R 31.19

32.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.56

$1.80 R 29.99

-0.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.80

$1.56 R 25.98

32.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.72

$0.99 R 16.47

98.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.73

$1.13 R 18.78

-26.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.71

$3.28 R 54.6

99.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.85

$4.82 R 80.3

15.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.16

$1.51 R 25.22

-11.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.62

$2.47 R 41.15

21.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.98

$1.66 R 27.72

36.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.41

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.69

$1.10 R 18.31

284.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.06 R 17.71

-19.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.41

$3.91 R 65.2

381.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.76

$1.32 R 21.94

53.03%

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

$35.0K €30.5K

$19.5K R 324.8K

79.33%

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

$39.6K €34.6K

$19.2K R 320.2K

106.22%

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

$148 €129

$86.4 R 1,439

71.27%

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

$20.52 €17.89

$16.68 R 278

23.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.46

$39.42 R 657

0.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €42.00

$19.58 R 326

146.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €16.03

$13.50 R 225

36.22%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.93

$6.84 R 114

33.04%

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

$615 €536

$120 R 1,995

413.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.2K

$1,586 R 26.4K

926.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.6

$42.59 R 709

138.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.69

$22.17 R 369

89.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €80.5

$76.7 R 1,278

20.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$62.4 R 1,040

95.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,405

$462 R 7,691

249.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,093

$339 R 5,654

269.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,676

$943 R 15.7K

225.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,776

$644 R 10.7K

216.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,757

$608 R 10.1K

1174.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,737

$601 R 10.0K

613.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,396

$1,473 R 24.5K

8.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

12.12

-68.56%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Last update for Mossel Bay: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $462 in Mossel Bay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 9% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $45.00 in Mossel Bay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $192 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 133% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $979 including rent). Mossel Bay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 9% 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: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $462 in Mossel Bay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% 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 $979 in Mossel Bay – a 133% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $979 in Mossel Bay versus $2,280 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 133% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.