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: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $992 in Polokwane.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $1,461 in Polokwane.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $1,931 in Polokwane.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 134% more expensive than in Polokwane, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Polokwane is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.87

$12.44 R 199

39.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$31.20 R 499

102.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.79

$7.38 R 118

54.34%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.74

$2.47 R 39.50

29.15%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$0.98 R 15.75

150.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.97 R 15.50

81.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$1.77 R 28.31

102.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$2.13 R 34.10

59.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.37 R 21.94

-9.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.19 R 18.97

66.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.80 R 28.86

-15.56%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.47

$2.62 R 41.85

54.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.64

$7.70 R 123

75.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.21

$4.11 R 65.7

104.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.69

$6.09 R 97.5

199.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$2.10 R 33.56

9.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.95 R 31.17

-10.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.82 R 29.10

2.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$2.03 R 32.51

29.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.75 R 28.00

9.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$1.61 R 25.70

29.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.15 R 18.39

25.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$0.82 R 13.11

2.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$2.72 R 43.55

149.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$4.80 R 76.8

18.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.24 R 19.78

11.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$1.63 R 26.12

36.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$0.89 R 14.24

169.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.22

$31.55 R 505

48.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$0.90 R 14.44

363.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.90 R 14.32

26.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.20

$14.78 R 236

19.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.42 R 22.73

63.38%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$26.1K R 418.1K

35.17%

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

$41.4K €35.6K

$29.3K R 468.5K

41.48%

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

$170 €146

$138 R 2,214

23.03%

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

$19.34 €16.62

$39.69 R 635

-51.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.92

$34.33 R 549

-2.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.35

$23.26 R 372

106.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.11

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.53

$8.30 R 133

19.52%

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

$717 €617

$185 R 2,957

288.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$1,482 R 23.7K

1078.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$47.04 R 752

122.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.36

$37.70 R 603

24.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €88.9

$82.3 R 1,316

25.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$96.6 R 1,545

28.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,441

$297 R 4,745

465.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,093

$211 R 3,371

502.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,566

$438 R 7,001

581.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,713

$289 R 4,617

590.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,728

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,004

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,361

$1,546 R 24.7K

2.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

10.91

-65.26%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Polokwane: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $297 in Polokwane. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 2% 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 $31.00 in Polokwane for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $187 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 134% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $992 including rent). Polokwane is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 2% 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: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $297 in Polokwane. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $717 in Lisbon versus $185 in Polokwane. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 51% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $992 in Polokwane versus $2,316 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 134% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.