Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Pietermaritzburg Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Pietermaritzburg

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $1,072 in Pietermaritzburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $1,600 in Pietermaritzburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $2,129 in Pietermaritzburg.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 116% more expensive than in Pietermaritzburg, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Pietermaritzburg is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.89

$7.92 R 126

118.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$37.51 R 598

68.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.80

$5.78 R 92.2

97.06%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.75

$2.44 R 38.96

30.74%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$1.21 R 19.29

102.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$1.02 R 16.33

72.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$2.33 R 37.23

54.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$2.61 R 41.71

29.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.38 R 22.00

-10.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$0.95 R 15.18

108.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.79 R 28.52

-15.08%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.48

$3.33 R 53.1

21.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.65

$7.20 R 115

88.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.22

$5.24 R 83.5

60.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.70

$6.93 R 111

163.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$2.10 R 33.52

9.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$2.02 R 32.25

-13.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$2.40 R 38.32

-22.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$2.05 R 32.74

28.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.79 R 28.53

7.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$1.81 R 28.91

15.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.59 R 25.34

-9.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$1.11 R 17.67

-24.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$3.27 R 52.1

107.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$4.06 R 64.8

40.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.42 R 22.69

-2.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$1.84 R 29.42

20.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$2.97 R 47.32

-19.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.25

$19.96 R 318

134.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$1.71 R 27.20

143.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.07 R 17.00

6.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.21

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.41 R 22.55

64.54%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$27.8K R 442.7K

27.34%

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

$41.4K €35.7K

$27.6K R 440.1K

50.22%

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

$170 €147

$210 R 3,351

-18.93%

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

$19.34 €16.64

$32.58 R 520

-40.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.95

$38.29 R 611

-12.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.39

$44.49 R 710

8.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.12

$3.10 R 49.40

541.94%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.54

$4.88 R 77.8

103.28%

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

$717 €617

$186 R 2,970

285.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$5,342 R 85.2K

227.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$58.3 R 930

79.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.40

$35.24 R 562

33.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.0

$120 R 1,915

-13.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$70.4 R 1,122

76.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,443

$228 R 3,636

635.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,094

$227 R 3,616

460.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,568

$617 R 9,841

383.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,715

$424 R 6,763

369.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,734

$6,128 R 97.7K

27.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,008

$152 R 2,428

2959.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,362

$1,090 R 17.4K

45.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

11.67

-67.52%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Pietermaritzburg: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $228 in Pietermaritzburg. 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 $38.00 in Pietermaritzburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $202 per month, with Pietermaritzburg 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 Pietermaritzburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Pietermaritzburg differ by about 116% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $1,072 including rent). Pietermaritzburg 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: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $228 in Pietermaritzburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $717 in Lisbon versus $186 in Pietermaritzburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,072 in Pietermaritzburg versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Pietermaritzburg but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Pietermaritzburg 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 Pietermaritzburg 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 Pietermaritzburg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 116% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.