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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $841 in Polokwane.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,285 in Polokwane.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,728 in Polokwane.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 172% more expensive than in Polokwane, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Polokwane is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$9.89 R 163

63.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$42.17 R 696

50.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$4.90 R 80.8

110.61%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$2.15 R 35.41

31.63%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$0.80 R 13.21

186.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.75 R 12.40

110.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$1.72 R 28.42

97.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$1.99 R 32.82

102.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$1.14 R 18.85

-4.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$0.95 R 15.60

84.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.71 R 28.26

2.92%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.45 R 40.49

29.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$7.17 R 118

83.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$3.41 R 56.3

133.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$5.63 R 92.9

175.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.60 R 26.47

48.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.53 R 25.21

11.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.52 R 25.10

32.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$1.67 R 27.53

45.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.51 R 24.95

16.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.24 R 20.38

63.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.04 R 17.17

84.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.78 R 12.79

8.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$2.67 R 44.12

146.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$4.77 R 78.7

16.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.08 R 17.78

23.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$1.28 R 21.16

132.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$3.17 R 52.4

-28.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$0.83 R 13.64

409.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.95 R 15.67

-14.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$4.00 R 66.1

361.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.20 R 19.73

73.33%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$13.8K R 227.0K

152.08%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$22.0K R 362.8K

78.11%

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

$148 €130

$120 R 1,981

23.34%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$40.02 R 660

-48.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$36.66 R 605

7.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$22.03 R 364

117.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$7.34 R 121

25.61%

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

$616 €540

$171 R 2,824

259.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$1,368 R 22.6K

1101.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$33.02 R 545

211.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$33.93 R 560

23.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$73.7 R 1,216

28.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$77.8 R 1,283

56.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$251 R 4,144

550.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$178 R 2,939

592.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$373 R 6,162

729.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$275 R 4,540

638.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$1,502 R 24.8K

6.99%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Polokwane: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $251 in Polokwane. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 7% 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 $42.00 in Polokwane for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $163 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 172% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $841 including rent). Polokwane is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 7% 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $251 in Polokwane. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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 $2,291 per month in Lisbon versus $841 in Polokwane – a 172% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $841 in Polokwane versus $2,291 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 172% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.