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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $782 in Nairobi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,305 in Nairobi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,828 in Nairobi.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 182% more expensive than Nairobi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Nairobi is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.80

$5.35 KES 692

197.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €56.2

$38.02 KES 4,917

70.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.12

$6.91 KES 894

52.10%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.49

$2.39 KES 309

20.08%

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

$2.24 €1.95

$0.71 KES 91.8

215.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.51 KES 65.5

194.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.03

$2.31 KES 298

51.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.37

$2.97 KES 385

30.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.94 KES 121

21.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.52

$0.53 KES 68.1

230.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.52

$1.64 KES 212

7.32%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.79

$1.69 KES 218

90.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.70

$11.74 KES 1,518

14.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.87

$6.84 KES 884

15.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.77

$5.44 KES 704

191.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €2.00

$3.03 KES 392

-23.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.48

$1.08 KES 140

57.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.74

$2.08 KES 269

-3.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.13

$1.04 KES 135

136.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.60

$1.06 KES 138

73.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.74

$1.15 KES 149

73.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.67

$0.70 KES 90.8

175.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.79 KES 102

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.73

$3.04 KES 393

117.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.97

$11.67 KES 1,509

-50.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$2.22 KES 287

-38.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.58

$2.82 KES 364

5.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.06

$0.75 KES 96.6

216.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.52

$30.59 KES 3,956

48.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.72

$1.59 KES 205

169.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.71

$1.50 KES 194

-45.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.88

$2.88 KES 372

535.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.79

$1.56 KES 202

32.05%

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

$34.3K €29.7K

$22.0K KES 2.8M

55.76%

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

$39.3K €34.1K

$20.4K KES 2.6M

92.45%

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

$148 €128

$34.70 KES 4,487

326.14%

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

$20.52 €17.80

$16.60 KES 2,147

23.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.37

$39.54 KES 5,113

0.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.51

$43.29 KES 5,598

10.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.42

$20.63 KES 2,667

-8.29%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.97

$6.07 KES 785

51.24%

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

$614 €533

$202 KES 26.1K

204.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.9K

$8,140 KES 1.1M

97.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.8

$18.28 KES 2,364

472.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.49

$23.56 KES 3,047

78.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €81.5

$66.4 KES 8,590

41.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €104

$56.7 KES 7,326

111.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,412

$450 KES 58.2K

261.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,089

$185 KES 23.9K

579.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,629

$1,134 KES 146.6K

167.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,753

$417 KES 54.0K

384.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,766

$1,558 KES 201.5K

400.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,707

$886 KES 114.5K

382.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,391

$416 KES 53.9K

285.05%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Nairobi: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $450 in Nairobi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 285% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $38.00 in Nairobi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $207 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 182% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $782 including rent). Nairobi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 285% 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $450 in Nairobi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $202 in Nairobi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $782 in Nairobi versus $2,210 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 182% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.