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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $765 in Nairobi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,299 in Nairobi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,832 in Nairobi.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 200% more expensive than in Nairobi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Nairobi is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$5.55 KES 717

191.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$38.48 KES 4,973

64.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$6.64 KES 858

55.42%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$2.49 KES 322

13.65%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$0.70 KES 91.1

227.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.50 KES 65.0

216.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$2.36 KES 306

44.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$2.83 KES 366

42.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$0.86 KES 111

26.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$0.56 KES 72.6

212.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.60 KES 207

10.00%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$1.68 KES 216

88.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$11.71 KES 1,513

12.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$6.91 KES 894

15.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$5.64 KES 729

175.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$3.08 KES 398

-23.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.07 KES 139

59.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$2.06 KES 266

-2.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$1.04 KES 135

133.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.07 KES 138

64.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.15 KES 149

76.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.65 KES 84.5

195.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.75 KES 96.6

13.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$3.16 KES 409

108.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$11.79 KES 1,524

-52.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$2.21 KES 285

-39.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.83 KES 365

4.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.75 KES 97.4

204.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$30.90 KES 3,993

48.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$1.53 KES 198

176.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$1.50 KES 193

-46.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$2.95 KES 382

525.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.53 KES 198

35.95%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$22.1K KES 2.9M

57.04%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$19.8K KES 2.6M

98.13%

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

$148 €130

$33.74 KES 4,360

338.80%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$16.72 KES 2,160

22.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$38.94 KES 5,032

1.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$43.13 KES 5,574

11.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

$20.62 KES 2,665

-9.80%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$6.36 KES 822

44.97%

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

$616 €540

$205 KES 26.5K

200.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$8,113 KES 1.0M

102.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$18.49 KES 2,389

455.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$23.69 KES 3,062

76.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$64.3 KES 8,310

47.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$55.6 KES 7,185

119.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$438 KES 56.7K

272.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$186 KES 24.1K

561.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$1,142 KES 147.5K

171.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$432 KES 55.8K

370.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$1,526 KES 197.2K

413.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$909 KES 117.5K

382.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$431 KES 55.7K

272.88%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Nairobi: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $438 in Nairobi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 273% 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 $38.00 in Nairobi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 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 200% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $765 including rent). Nairobi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 273% 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $438 in Nairobi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $205 in Nairobi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $765 in Nairobi versus $2,291 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 200% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.