Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Pilikwe Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Pilikwe

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $616 in Pilikwe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $958 in Pilikwe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,301 in Pilikwe.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 259% more expensive than Pilikwe, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Pilikwe is 54% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$7.30 P 95.4

117.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$30.37 P 397

113.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$5.95 P 77.7

76.64%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.21 P 28.86

29.86%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.82 P 10.67

173.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.48 P 6.26

212.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$2.26 P 29.49

54.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$2.93 P 38.24

32.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.40 P 18.25

-18.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.81 P 10.61

116.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.83 P 23.95

-3.83%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.29 P 29.97

40.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$7.59 P 99.2

77.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$5.13 P 67.0

54.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$5.48 P 71.6

189.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.83 P 23.88

26.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.45 P 18.92

17.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.87 P 24.50

7.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.56 P 20.33

57.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.41 P 18.39

30.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.21 P 15.87

65.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.18 P 15.46

63.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.85 P 11.16

-7.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$3.56 P 46.46

85.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$4.16 P 54.4

37.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.63 P 21.29

-15.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.18 P 28.51

36.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$0.62 P 8.14

591.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$2.60 P 34.04

-68.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$2.94 P 38.39

522.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.15 P 14.96

79.13%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$22.5K P 294.5K

52.09%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$16.8K P 219.7K

133.71%

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

$148 €127

$70.2 P 917

110.64%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$26.02 P 340

-21.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$78.0 P 1,019

-49.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$6.66 P 87.0

37.84%

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

$614 €528

$187 P 2,438

229.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$3,818 P 49.9K

320.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$42.54 P 556

146.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$24.31 P 318

73.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$74.2 P 969

26.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$97.9 P 1,279

22.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

9.12

-58.22%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Pilikwe: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $30.00 in Pilikwe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $179 per month, with Pilikwe 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 Pilikwe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Pilikwe differ by about 259% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $616 including rent). Pilikwe is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,315 in Lisbon and $924 in Pilikwe 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.

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

All in, you'll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $616 in Pilikwe – a 259% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $616 in Pilikwe versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Pilikwe but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Pilikwe 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 Pilikwe 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 Pilikwe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 259% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.