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: $2,217 in Lisbon versus $1,053 in Plettenberg Bay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,245 in Lisbon versus $1,677 in Plettenberg Bay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,272 in Lisbon versus $2,301 in Plettenberg Bay.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 111% more expensive than Plettenberg Bay, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Plettenberg Bay is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.78 €13.59

$8.32 R 135

89.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.5 €53.8

$33.46 R 542

86.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 €9.07

$5.79 R 93.7

82.04%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.38

$1.85 R 30.01

49.73%

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

$2.28 €1.97

$1.00 R 16.17

128.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.33

$0.80 R 12.97

93.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.55 €3.05

$2.56 R 41.46

38.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 €3.43

$2.53 R 41.01

57.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.03 R 16.61

4.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.02 R 16.53

73.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.64 R 26.48

7.93%

Eggs

$3.12 €2.69

$2.51 R 40.63

24.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.34 €11.49

$9.67 R 156

37.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.88

$4.39 R 71.1

82.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.92 €13.70

$7.47 R 121

113.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$1.62 R 26.21

40.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.42

$1.16 R 18.73

41.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 €1.70

$1.17 R 18.88

69.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.27 R 20.58

92.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.52

$0.87 R 14.16

103.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.83 R 13.40

137.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.70

$0.78 R 12.69

152.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.98 R 15.90

-18.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.54 €5.63

$2.75 R 44.46

137.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.75 €4.95

$5.07 R 82.0

13.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 €1.13

$2.08 R 33.62

-36.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 €2.57

$2.21 R 35.74

35.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.34 €2.01

$1.63 R 26.40

43.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.85 €39.48

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.26 €3.66

$1.11 R 17.89

283.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.96 R 15.52

-12.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.86 €16.24

$3.91 R 63.3

382.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.30 R 20.97

59.23%

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

$35.2K €30.3K

$21.4K R 345.8K

64.96%

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

$38.6K €33.2K

$24.2K R 391.0K

59.85%

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

$151 €130

$141 R 2,284

7.11%

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

$20.91 €18.00

$35.53 R 575

-41.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.54 €34.05

$29.82 R 483

32.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.39 €41.67

$29.06 R 470

66.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.61 €16.02

$1.15 R 18.60

1518.26%

Cinema Ticket

$9.04 €7.79

$5.96 R 96.5

51.68%

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

$610 €525

$196 R 3,172

211.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$4,320 R 69.9K

276.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €87.2

$40.77 R 660

148.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.58 €34.94

$31.59 R 511

28.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.0 €80.1

$112 R 1,820

-17.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$57.7 R 933

105.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,603 €1,380

$359 R 5,812

346.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,239 €1,067

$360 R 5,827

244.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,019 €2,599

$673 R 10.9K

348.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,061 €1,775

$835 R 13.5K

146.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,981 €6,872

$2,327 R 37.7K

243.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,533 €3,903

$1,515 R 24.5K

199.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,628 €1,402

$931 R 15.1K

74.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

-61.90%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 15, 2026

Last update for Plettenberg Bay: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,603 in Lisbon and $359 in Plettenberg Bay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 75% 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: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $33.00 in Plettenberg Bay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $181 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 111% in total monthly costs ($2,217 vs $1,053 including rent). Plettenberg Bay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 75% more on average, 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: $1,603 in Lisbon versus $359 in Plettenberg Bay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 48% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,217 per month in Lisbon versus $1,053 in Plettenberg Bay – a 111% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,053 in Plettenberg Bay versus $2,217 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 111% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.