Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Port Elizabeth Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Port Elizabeth

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $1,236 in Port Elizabeth.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $1,900 in Port Elizabeth.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $2,563 in Port Elizabeth.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 87% more expensive than in Port Elizabeth, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Port Elizabeth is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.93

$11.37 R 183

52.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.6

$44.17 R 709

43.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.83

$6.12 R 98.3

86.11%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.75

$2.13 R 34.16

49.77%

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

$2.45 €2.11

$1.10 R 17.69

122.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.80 R 12.91

120.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.10

$2.84 R 45.69

26.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.93

$3.23 R 51.9

4.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.22 R 19.56

1.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.09 R 17.47

81.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.49 R 24.00

2.01%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.49

$2.81 R 45.09

43.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.68

$9.08 R 146

49.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.24

$5.56 R 89.4

50.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.75

$8.62 R 138

111.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$2.14 R 34.44

7.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.59 R 25.62

9.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.68 R 26.95

10.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.27

$1.77 R 28.44

48.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.77 R 28.50

8.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$1.42 R 22.80

47.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.33 R 21.32

8.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.04 R 16.77

-19.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.85

$3.37 R 54.1

101.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.93

$4.83 R 77.5

18.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.31 R 21.03

5.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$1.81 R 29.05

22.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.07

$1.18 R 18.99

103.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.37

$36.87 R 592

26.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.60

$2.17 R 34.93

92.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.49 R 7.81

132.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.26

$8.56 R 138

106.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.01

$1.41 R 22.68

64.54%

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

$35.3K €30.5K

$36.5K R 586.0K

-3.14%

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

$41.4K €35.8K

$34.5K R 553.8K

20.22%

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

$170 €147

$125 R 2,013

35.95%

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

$19.34 €16.69

$35.65 R 573

-45.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €29.03

$46.87 R 753

-28.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.50

$32.16 R 517

49.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.17

$24.02 R 386

-17.15%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.56

$10.92 R 175

-9.16%

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

$717 €619

$185 R 2,974

287.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.1K

$6,340 R 101.8K

175.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.4

$72.1 R 1,158

45.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.51

$38.23 R 614

22.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.2

$115 R 1,841

-9.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$99.9 R 1,604

24.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,447

$633 R 10.2K

164.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,097

$429 R 6,896

196.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,575

$846 R 13.6K

252.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,719

$704 R 11.3K

182.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,753

$799 R 12.8K

879.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,019

$545 R 8,755

754.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,366

$1,641 R 26.4K

-3.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

11.94

-68.26%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Port Elizabeth: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $633 in Port Elizabeth. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Port Elizabeth pays 4% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $44.00 in Port Elizabeth for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $203 per month, with Port Elizabeth 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 Port Elizabeth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Port Elizabeth differ by about 87% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $1,236 including rent). Port Elizabeth is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 4% lower in Port Elizabeth. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $633 in Port Elizabeth. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,236 in Port Elizabeth versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Port Elizabeth but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Port Elizabeth 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 Port Elizabeth 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 Port Elizabeth gentler on the wallet – expenses run 87% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.