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: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $1,038 in Plettenberg Bay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,660 in Plettenberg Bay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $2,283 in Plettenberg Bay.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 120% more expensive than in Plettenberg Bay, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Plettenberg Bay is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.64

$8.35 R 138

88.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.0

$33.06 R 544

92.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.05

$5.72 R 94.2

82.69%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.52

$1.83 R 30.16

59.02%

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

$2.29 €1.98

$0.99 R 16.30

131.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.76 R 12.49

97.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$2.56 R 42.10

39.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.43

$2.50 R 41.24

58.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$0.99 R 16.31

9.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.03 R 16.98

70.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$1.62 R 26.62

4.94%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.81

$2.47 R 40.70

31.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.47

$9.95 R 164

33.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.67

$4.38 R 72.1

75.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.66

$7.17 R 118

119.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$1.66 R 27.26

37.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$1.19 R 19.62

39.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.20 R 19.79

68.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$1.24 R 20.37

99.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$0.87 R 14.27

105.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$0.87 R 14.33

137.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$0.72 R 11.89

173.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$0.91 R 14.90

-8.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.68

$2.76 R 45.42

137.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.82

$4.63 R 76.2

20.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$2.12 R 34.89

-37.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.60

$2.22 R 36.51

35.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$1.69 R 27.89

34.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.66

$1.11 R 18.20

281.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.95 R 15.69

-10.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.31

$4.15 R 68.3

353.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.29 R 21.31

56.59%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$21.0K R 345.5K

66.56%

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

$39.6K €34.3K

$23.5K R 387.6K

68.39%

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

$148 €128

$145 R 2,382

2.23%

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

$20.52 €17.77

$34.80 R 573

-41.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.23

$29.54 R 486

33.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.72

$29.34 R 483

64.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

$1.10 R 18.14

1571.82%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.88

$5.86 R 96.4

55.29%

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

$615 €532

$197 R 3,247

211.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$4,290 R 70.6K

279.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$40.15 R 661

152.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.45

$32.83 R 540

28.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €79.9

$114 R 1,872

-18.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$57.9 R 953

110.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,396

$366 R 6,017

340.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,086

$361 R 5,936

247.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,658

$689 R 11.3K

345.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,764

$839 R 13.8K

142.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,712

$2,100 R 34.6K

269.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,712

$1,472 R 24.2K

191.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,387

$1,328 R 21.9K

20.64%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Plettenberg Bay: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $366 in Plettenberg Bay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 21% 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 $33.00 in Plettenberg Bay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $179 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 120% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $1,038 including rent). Plettenberg Bay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 21% 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: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $366 in Plettenberg Bay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 49% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,280 per month in Lisbon versus $1,038 in Plettenberg Bay – a 120% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,038 in Plettenberg Bay versus $2,280 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 120% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.