Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Paarl Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Paarl

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $978 in Paarl.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,647 in Paarl.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $2,316 in Paarl.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Paarl is 27% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.74

$11.12 R 185

41.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.3

$44.19 R 736

43.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.11

$4.77 R 79.5

119.08%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.54

$1.97 R 32.90

47.72%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$0.87 R 14.44

163.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.31

$0.86 R 14.39

74.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.11

$2.30 R 38.25

54.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.46

$2.58 R 42.95

53.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.15 R 19.13

-6.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.96 R 15.99

83.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.48

$1.92 R 31.96

-11.46%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.83

$1.83 R 30.41

77.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.55

$8.05 R 134

64.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.72

$5.32 R 88.6

44.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.75

$7.66 R 128

105.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.99

$1.44 R 24.02

58.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.44

$1.34 R 22.39

23.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.76

$0.90 R 15.05

124.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.16

$1.43 R 23.87

72.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.56

$0.77 R 12.86

132.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.80

$0.87 R 14.41

137.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.72

$1.10 R 18.30

79.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.73

$0.83 R 13.86

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.71

$2.82 R 47.05

132.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.85

$4.68 R 77.9

19.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.16

$1.18 R 19.65

12.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.62

$0.92 R 15.40

227.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.98

$1.13 R 18.88

100.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.41

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.69

$1.44 R 23.94

193.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.01 R 16.76

-15.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.41

$4.40 R 73.2

327.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.76

$1.18 R 19.73

71.19%

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

$35.0K €30.5K

$21.5K R 357.3K

62.98%

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

$39.6K €34.6K

$16.6K R 276.1K

139.18%

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

$148 €129

$75.9 R 1,264

95.03%

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

$20.52 €17.89

$33.19 R 553

-38.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.46

$41.13 R 685

-3.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €42.00

$24.52 R 408

96.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €16.03

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.93

$6.10 R 102

49.18%

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

$615 €536

$198 R 3,290

211.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.2K

$4,216 R 70.2K

286.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.6

$39.03 R 650

160.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.69

$28.50 R 475

47.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €80.5

$110 R 1,824

-15.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$86.0 R 1,432

42.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,405

$686 R 11.4K

134.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,093

$334 R 5,564

275.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,676

$1,168 R 19.5K

162.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,776

$830 R 13.8K

145.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,757

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,737

$4,230 R 70.5K

1.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,396

$1,105 R 18.4K

45.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

11.4

-66.58%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Last update for Paarl: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $686 in Paarl. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 45% 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 $44.00 in Paarl for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $171 per month, with Paarl 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 Paarl: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Paarl differ by about 133% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $978 including rent). Paarl is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 45% 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 $686 in Paarl. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 56% 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 $978 in Paarl – a 133% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $978 in Paarl versus $2,280 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Paarl but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Paarl 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 Paarl 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 Paarl 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.