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: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $578 in Pilikwe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $911 in Pilikwe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $1,245 in Pilikwe.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 293% more expensive than in Pilikwe, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Pilikwe is 58% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$11.26 P 148

55.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$29.59 P 389

117.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$5.82 P 76.5

100.17%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$2.43 P 31.98

34.16%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$0.78 P 10.18

219.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.45 P 5.85

271.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$2.08 P 27.38

66.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$2.55 P 33.50

40.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.53 P 20.05

-22.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$0.84 P 11.01

132.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.82 P 23.96

-14.29%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$2.43 P 31.98

65.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$6.04 P 79.4

119.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$4.67 P 61.4

80.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$4.88 P 64.1

273.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.57 P 20.61

47.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.46 P 19.20

18.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.98 P 26.00

-2.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.63 P 21.46

61.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.41 P 18.47

34.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.22 P 16.01

72.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.46 P 19.13

-1.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.85 P 11.21

-5.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$3.77 P 49.52

85.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$4.47 P 58.8

32.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.42 P 18.61

-4.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.69 P 22.23

27.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$0.60 P 7.93

598.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$2.53 P 33.23

-56.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$2.96 P 38.87

483.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.37 P 18.00

64.23%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$20.1K P 264.7K

71.08%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$21.0K P 276.4K

97.77%

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

$171 €147

$61.6 P 810

177.27%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$20.05 P 263

-5.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$41.86 P 550

-18.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$6.45 P 84.8

56.59%

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

$699 €603

$130 P 1,708

437.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$2,531 P 33.2K

602.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$47.39 P 623

120.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$17.10 P 225

180.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$67.2 P 882

51.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$73.8 P 970

73.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

11.67

-67.61%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Pilikwe: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $30.00 in Pilikwe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $172 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 293% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $578 including rent). Pilikwe is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,402 in Lisbon and $867 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 64% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,268 per month in Lisbon versus $578 in Pilikwe – a 293% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $578 in Pilikwe versus $2,268 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 293% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.