Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Mwanza

For one person, living is cheaper in Mwanza: $185 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $24,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Mwanza

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Mwanza

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Mwanza actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $185 in Mwanza.

Lisbon $2,210
Mwanza $185

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $291 in Mwanza.

Lisbon $3,275
Mwanza $291

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $396 in Mwanza.

Lisbon $4,341
Mwanza $396

Living in Lisbon is roughly 1095% more expensive than in Mwanza, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 62% above, Mwanza is 86% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.95

$2.41 TZS 6,302

590.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.5

$15.09 TZS 39.4K

309.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.20

$4.45 TZS 11.6K

155.28%

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.67

$2.57 TZS 6,712

15.56%

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

$2.29 €2.06

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.56

$0.27 TZS 695

544.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.06

$0.96 TZS 2,517

254.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.97

$1.28 TZS 3,346

158.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.04

$0.91 TZS 2,375

27.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.72

$1.55 TZS 4,059

23.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.36

$0.98 TZS 2,566

54.08%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.61

$2.05 TZS 5,354

96.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.62

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.98

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.95

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.07

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.56

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.67

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.33

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.64

$0.96 TZS 2,518

89.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.77

$1.33 TZS 3,477

48.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

$0.40 TZS 1,034

80.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.91

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.04

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.92

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.10

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.14

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.46

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.79

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.98

$1.53 TZS 3,992

43.79%

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

$34.2K €30.7K

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

$38.7K €34.8K

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

$161 €145

$65.9 TZS 172.0K

144.75%

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

$18.41 €16.54

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.41

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €40.02

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.16

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.62

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

$668 €600

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.6

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.94

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.5

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,445

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,069

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,526

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,808

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,042

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,110

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,415

$190 TZS 495.4K

730.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Mwanza: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Mwanza

–

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Mwanza

–

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

Mwanza

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Mwanza

–

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Mwanza

–

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Mwanza

–

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Mwanza

–

Cost Breakdown

Lisbon pays about 8.3 times 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: $62 in Lisbon vs $15 in Mwanza for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $47 per month, with Mwanza cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇹🇿 Mwanza

🕒 Local time

17:58 5:58 PM

20:58 8:58 PM

3 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

1,104,521

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Tanzanian Shilling TZS Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

10,000 TZS = 3.83 USD

10,000 TZS = 3.44 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TZS, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

Tanzanian Shilling exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 2,611 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.83 USD). 1 EUR = 2,907 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.44 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

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Between locations

Lisbon Mwanza 6,290 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Mwanza: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Mwanza differ by about 1095% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $185 including rent). Mwanza is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Lisbon is about 8.3 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Dining out is cheaper in Mwanza – a meal for two runs $15 versus $62 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $185 in Mwanza – a 1095% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $185 in Mwanza versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Mwanza but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Mwanza 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.

It comes down to priorities – Mwanza wins on affordability, Lisbon on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.