Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Palapye

For one person, living is cheaper in Palapye: $569 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $19,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon, Portugal
Palapye, Botswana
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Palapye
🇧🇼 Botswana
$569
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Palapye

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 Palapye actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $569 in Palapye.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • Palapye $569

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $915 in Palapye.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • Palapye $915

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $1,261 in Palapye.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • Palapye $1,261

Living in Lisbon is roughly 288% more expensive than in Palapye, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 62% above, Palapye is 58% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Palapye
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.95
$11.05 P 149
50.68%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.5
$28.49 P 384
116.71%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.20
$5.76 P 77.8
97.22%
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.67
$2.26 P 30.52
31.42%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.06
$0.74 P 10.00
209.46%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.56
$0.40 P 5.44
335.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.06
$2.01 P 27.12
69.15%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.97
$2.61 P 35.23
26.82%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Palapye
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.04
$1.54 P 20.76
-24.68%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.72
$0.82 P 11.12
132.93%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.36
$1.78 P 24.08
-15.17%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.61
$2.44 P 32.93
64.75%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.62
$6.27 P 84.6
106.38%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.98
$4.40 P 59.3
76.59%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.95
$5.00 P 67.5
255.20%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.07
$1.58 P 21.36
45.57%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.56
$1.46 P 19.68
18.49%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.67
$2.07 P 27.88
-10.14%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.33
$1.61 P 21.78
60.87%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.64
$1.30 P 17.55
40.00%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.77
$1.15 P 15.50
71.30%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.32
$1.28 P 17.22
14.84%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$0.96 P 13.00
-25.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.91
$3.57 P 48.13
84.31%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.04
$4.36 P 58.8
28.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$1.40 P 18.88
-2.86%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.92
$1.80 P 24.28
18.89%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Palapye
Difference
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
$0.64 P 8.64
501.56%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.96
$2.51 P 33.93
-57.37%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.79
$2.83 P 38.17
481.63%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.98
$1.09 P 14.65
101.83%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.7K
$30.6K P 412.5K
11.81%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.8K
$20.3K P 274.1K
90.62%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Palapye
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €145
$59.7 P 806
169.91%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.54
$18.73 P 253
-1.71%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.41
$44.46 P 600
-26.36%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Palapye
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €40.02
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.16
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.62
$6.34 P 85.6
51.42%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Palapye
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €600
$127 P 1,712
426.06%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.8K
$2,472 P 33.3K
612.58%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Palapye
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.6
$46.80 P 631
117.99%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.94
$16.81 P 227
164.49%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €88.5
$72.6 P 979
35.78%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$78.1 P 1,054
58.33%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Palapye
Difference
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
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Palapye
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,415
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
11.33
-66.02%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Palapye: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Palapye
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
Palapye
$172 37% $101
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
Palapye
$153 37.1% $90
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
Palapye
$123 42.1% $89
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Palapye
$96 41.9% $69
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Palapye
$13 * 80.1% $51
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Palapye
$13 * 79.1% $50

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $28 in Palapye for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $172 per month, with Palapye cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇧🇼 Palapye
🕒 Local time
22:54 10:54 PM
00:54 12:54 AM
2 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
26,000
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

BWP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

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

Botswana Pula exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 13.49 BWP (100 BWP = 7.41 USD). 1 EUR = 15.02 BWP (100 BWP = 6.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Palapye 7,790 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Palapye

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 Palapye: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Palapye?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $569 in Palapye, so Palapye is about 74% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Lisbon compared to Palapye?
You’d need roughly $3,315 in Lisbon and $854 in Palapye to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 59% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more expensive overall: Lisbon or Palapye?
All in, you’ll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $569 in Palapye – Palapye is about 74% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
At $569 in Palapye versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Palapye but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Palapye the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Palapye?
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.
Is Lisbon or Palapye safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Palapye are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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