Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Nairobi Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Nairobi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,258 in Lisbon versus $763 in Nairobi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,328 in Lisbon versus $1,268 in Nairobi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,397 in Lisbon versus $1,772 in Nairobi.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 196% more expensive than Nairobi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Nairobi is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.82 €13.46

$5.31 KES 685

197.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.4 €54.8

$37.93 KES 4,896

69.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.37 €8.82

$6.65 KES 859

55.94%

Cappuccino

$2.89 €2.46

$2.44 KES 314

18.44%

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

$2.23 €1.90

$0.70 KES 90.7

218.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.32

$0.55 KES 70.4

181.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.38 €2.88

$2.31 KES 298

46.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 €3.32

$2.95 KES 380

32.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 €0.96

$0.88 KES 114

27.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 €1.53

$0.57 KES 73.4

215.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.49

$1.59 KES 205

10.06%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.70

$1.68 KES 217

88.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.50 €11.49

$11.40 KES 1,471

18.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.79 €6.63

$6.64 KES 857

17.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.65 €13.32

$5.57 KES 718

180.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.94

$3.15 KES 407

-27.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.46

$1.04 KES 135

64.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.65

$2.17 KES 280

-11.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.52 €2.15

$1.02 KES 131

147.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.52

$1.02 KES 132

75.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 €1.74

$1.13 KES 145

81.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 €1.65

$0.70 KES 90.5

177.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.69

$0.81 KES 104

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.65 €5.66

$3.14 KES 405

111.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.79 €4.92

$11.65 KES 1,504

-50.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.14

$2.18 KES 281

-38.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 €2.47

$2.75 KES 355

5.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 €2.00

$0.76 KES 98.0

209.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.70 €38.89

$31.27 KES 4,036

46.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.20 €3.58

$1.52 KES 196

176.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.69

$1.50 KES 194

-46.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.70 €15.91

$2.85 KES 367

556.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.78

$1.54 KES 199

35.71%

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

$34.6K €29.5K

$21.9K KES 2.8M

58.15%

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

$39.7K €33.7K

$20.3K KES 2.6M

95.22%

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

$146 €124

$34.60 KES 4,466

321.53%

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

$20.84 €17.73

$16.64 KES 2,148

25.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.78 €33.85

$39.82 KES 5,140

-0.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.58 €41.35

$42.27 KES 5,455

14.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.85 €16.04

$20.64 KES 2,664

-8.67%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 €7.72

$6.26 KES 807

44.89%

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

$618 €526

$204 KES 26.3K

203.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K €13.8K

$7,885 KES 1.0M

104.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.0

$18.29 KES 2,361

471.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.54 €34.50

$23.62 KES 3,049

71.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.8 €79.8

$66.2 KES 8,543

41.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €104

$56.7 KES 7,312

116.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,365

$449 KES 57.9K

257.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 €1,073

$184 KES 23.7K

586.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,065 €2,608

$1,129 KES 145.7K

171.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,008 €1,709

$433 KES 55.9K

363.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,702 €6,555

$1,566 KES 202.1K

392.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,367 €3,716

$903 KES 116.6K

383.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,638 €1,394

$406 KES 52.4K

303.43%

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: April 13, 2026

Last update for Nairobi: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $449 in Nairobi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 303% 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 in Lisbon vs $38 in Nairobi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $205 per month, with Nairobi 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 Nairobi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Nairobi differ by about 196% in total monthly costs ($2,258 vs $763 including rent). Nairobi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 303% more on average, 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: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $449 in Nairobi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $618 in Lisbon versus $204 in Nairobi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $763 in Nairobi versus $2,258 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Nairobi but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Nairobi 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 Nairobi 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 Nairobi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 196% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.