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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,052 in Pietermaritzburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,592 in Pietermaritzburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $2,133 in Pietermaritzburg.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 118% more expensive than in Pietermaritzburg, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Pietermaritzburg is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$7.92 R 131

104.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$43.07 R 711

47.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$5.57 R 92.0

85.28%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$2.14 R 35.27

32.24%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$0.93 R 15.28

146.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.70 R 11.56

125.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$1.64 R 26.98

107.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$2.42 R 39.96

66.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$1.04 R 17.20

4.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$0.82 R 13.51

113.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.52 R 25.05

15.79%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.28 R 37.58

39.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$7.26 R 120

81.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$4.66 R 76.9

71.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$7.06 R 117

119.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.60 R 26.33

48.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.69 R 27.85

1.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.93 R 31.82

4.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$1.73 R 28.58

40.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.53 R 25.20

15.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.75 R 28.88

16.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.23 R 20.38

56.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.91 R 14.95

-6.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$2.89 R 47.71

127.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$4.02 R 66.3

38.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.40 R 23.08

-5.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$1.78 R 29.38

66.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$2.64 R 43.62

-13.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$18.28 R 302

150.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$1.71 R 28.16

147.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.52 R 8.61

55.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$4.13 R 68.1

346.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.21 R 20.04

71.90%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$23.7K R 391.0K

46.33%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$22.8K R 376.9K

71.45%

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

$148 €130

$232 R 3,822

-36.07%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$30.00 R 495

-31.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$58.2 R 960

-32.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$38.55 R 636

24.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$5.11 R 84.3

80.43%

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

$616 €540

$151 R 2,489

308.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$4,784 R 78.9K

243.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$62.6 R 1,033

64.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$38.00 R 627

9.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$180 R 2,967

-47.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$74.3 R 1,226

64.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$205 R 3,383

696.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$188 R 3,105

554.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$511 R 8,438

505.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$383 R 6,319

430.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$3,624 R 59.8K

116.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$447 R 7,383

881.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$1,071 R 17.7K

50.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

11.5

-66.87%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Pietermaritzburg: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $205 in Pietermaritzburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 50% 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 $43.00 in Pietermaritzburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $177 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 118% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,052 including rent). Pietermaritzburg is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 50% 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 $205 in Pietermaritzburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $151 in Pietermaritzburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 51% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,052 in Pietermaritzburg versus $2,291 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 118% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.