Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Plettenberg Bay Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Plettenberg Bay

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $1,138 in Plettenberg Bay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $1,846 in Plettenberg Bay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $2,554 in Plettenberg Bay.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 102% more expensive than in Plettenberg Bay, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Plettenberg Bay is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$11.14 R 182

57.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$43.30 R 709

45.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$5.85 R 95.9

97.95%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.11 R 34.57

46.92%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$1.03 R 16.87

141.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.74 R 12.20

135.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$2.79 R 45.73

24.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$2.10 R 34.47

63.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.16 R 18.97

-0.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.02 R 16.69

87.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.48 R 24.19

1.35%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$2.77 R 45.30

43.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$8.77 R 144

51.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$5.64 R 92.5

42.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

$8.93 R 146

102.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$1.90 R 31.08

23.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.40 R 22.86

25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$1.40 R 22.96

32.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$1.58 R 25.86

61.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$1.06 R 17.29

73.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$0.91 R 14.95

130.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$0.88 R 14.35

69.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$1.00 R 16.33

-18.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$2.89 R 47.30

145.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$4.96 R 81.3

19.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$1.24 R 20.28

5.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.79 R 29.26

18.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$1.58 R 25.84

49.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$0.65 R 10.62

527.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.48 R 7.83

137.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

$3.75 R 61.4

355.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.40 R 22.88

65.00%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$36.6K R 599.7K

-6.79%

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

$41.4K €36.1K

$29.6K R 484.8K

39.79%

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

$169 €147

$125 R 2,041

35.26%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$35.06 R 574

-44.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$32.63 R 534

2.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

$31.90 R 522

53.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

$1.21 R 19.83

1505.79%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$6.64 R 109

44.13%

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

$696 €607

$153 R 2,505

354.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$6,212 R 101.7K

179.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$45.49 R 745

131.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$37.75 R 618

26.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$114 R 1,872

-12.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$96.9 R 1,587

28.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

$704 R 11.5K

136.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$402 R 6,588

209.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

$1,403 R 23.0K

111.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

$921 R 15.1K

122.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

$2,170 R 35.5K

260.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

$1,527 R 25.0K

192.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

$1,374 R 22.5K

18.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

10.33

-63.41%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Plettenberg Bay: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $704 in Plettenberg Bay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 19% 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 Plettenberg Bay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $192 per month, with Plettenberg Bay 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 Plettenberg Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Plettenberg Bay differ by about 102% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $1,138 including rent). Plettenberg Bay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 19% 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $704 in Plettenberg Bay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 45% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,296 per month in Lisbon versus $1,138 in Plettenberg Bay – a 102% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,138 in Plettenberg Bay versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Plettenberg Bay but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Plettenberg Bay 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 Plettenberg Bay 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 Plettenberg Bay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 102% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.