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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,158 in Port Elizabeth.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,839 in Port Elizabeth.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $2,519 in Port Elizabeth.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 91% more expensive than Port Elizabeth, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Port Elizabeth is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$9.00 R 147

76.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$44.72 R 731

44.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$5.30 R 86.7

98.30%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.23 R 36.38

28.70%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$1.17 R 19.19

91.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$1.04 R 16.93

44.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$2.50 R 40.81

39.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$2.95 R 48.28

31.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.12 R 18.23

1.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.93 R 15.22

88.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.43 R 23.31

23.08%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.49 R 40.66

29.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.62

$7.86 R 129

71.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$4.86 R 79.5

62.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$8.05 R 132

97.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.68 R 27.42

37.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.41 R 23.12

20.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.59 R 25.96

26.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.62 R 26.49

51.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.50 R 24.45

22.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.11 R 18.20

80.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.19 R 19.49

62.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.93 R 15.14

-15.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$2.96 R 48.43

123.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$5.00 R 81.7

14.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.16 R 18.99

18.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.71 R 28.03

73.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.09 R 17.89

117.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.23

$34.50 R 564

32.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$2.68 R 43.75

60.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.44 R 7.26

86.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$8.04 R 131

127.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.29 R 21.05

59.69%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$23.5K R 384.7K

45.66%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$25.5K R 416.3K

54.31%

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

$148 €127

$118 R 1,925

25.59%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$32.46 R 531

-36.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.11

$44.22 R 723

-10.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.20

$28.98 R 474

65.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$20.80 R 340

-9.04%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$9.52 R 156

-3.57%

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

$614 €529

$164 R 2,677

274.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$4,714 R 77.1K

240.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$66.6 R 1,089

57.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.22

$37.40 R 611

12.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$93.8 R 1,533

0.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$90.5 R 1,480

32.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,402

$587 R 9,589

177.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$448 R 7,319

180.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$1,115 R 18.2K

171.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,740

$871 R 14.2K

131.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,716

$776 R 12.7K

904.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,679

$545 R 8,917

683.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,381

$1,620 R 26.5K

-1.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

12.04

-68.36%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Port Elizabeth: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $587 in Port Elizabeth. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Port Elizabeth pays 1% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $45.00 in Port Elizabeth for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $181 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 91% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,158 including rent). Port Elizabeth is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Port Elizabeth earns 1% less. 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $587 in Port Elizabeth. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $164 in Port Elizabeth. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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

At $1,158 in Port Elizabeth versus $2,210 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 91% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.