Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Polokwane Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Polokwane

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $820 in Polokwane.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,289 in Polokwane.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,757 in Polokwane.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 169% more expensive than Polokwane, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Polokwane is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$9.87 R 160

61.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$42.61 R 692

52.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$4.73 R 76.9

122.20%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.17 R 35.33

32.26%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.81 R 13.14

176.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.80 R 13.06

87.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$1.69 R 27.52

106.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$2.02 R 32.78

92.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.19 R 19.34

-4.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.95 R 15.51

84.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.72 R 27.89

2.33%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.47 R 40.13

30.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$7.11 R 116

89.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$3.26 R 52.9

142.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$5.73 R 93.1

176.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.63 R 26.55

41.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.52 R 24.78

11.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.52 R 24.76

32.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.66 R 26.97

48.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.45 R 23.54

26.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.23 R 19.97

62.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.05 R 17.06

83.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.71 R 11.59

11.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$2.62 R 42.66

152.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$4.76 R 77.3

20.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.07 R 17.41

28.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.24 R 20.12

139.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$3.19 R 51.9

-25.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$0.88 R 14.30

387.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.94 R 15.34

-12.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$4.02 R 65.3

355.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.21 R 19.59

70.25%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$13.7K R 223.1K

149.66%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$22.6K R 366.5K

74.24%

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

$148 €127

$119 R 1,928

24.64%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$39.74 R 646

-48.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$37.33 R 607

6.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$22.36 R 363

114.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$7.09 R 115

29.48%

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

$614 €528

$169 R 2,751

262.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$1,354 R 22.0K

1084.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$33.90 R 551

208.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$33.31 R 541

26.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$75.7 R 1,229

24.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$79.8 R 1,296

50.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$249 R 4,041

554.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$176 R 2,864

612.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$383 R 6,228

690.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$275 R 4,474

633.74%

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

$1,529 R 24.9K

4.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

11.51

-66.90%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Polokwane: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $249 in Polokwane. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 5% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $43.00 in Polokwane for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $162 per month, with Polokwane 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 Polokwane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Polokwane differ by about 169% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $820 including rent). Polokwane is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 5% 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $249 in Polokwane. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 67% 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 $820 in Polokwane – a 169% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $820 in Polokwane versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Polokwane but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Polokwane 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 Polokwane 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 Polokwane gentler on the wallet – expenses run 169% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.