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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $908 in Port Shepstone.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,426 in Port Shepstone.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,944 in Port Shepstone.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 143% more expensive than Port Shepstone, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Port Shepstone is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$7.68 R 126

107.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$27.56 R 451

135.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$4.92 R 80.5

113.62%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$1.90 R 31.01

51.05%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.89 R 14.62

151.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.67 R 11.01

123.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$1.99 R 32.52

75.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$2.22 R 36.34

74.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.82 R 13.40

39.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.66 R 10.73

165.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.11 R 18.07

58.56%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$1.30 R 21.28

147.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.62

$6.68 R 109

101.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$3.35 R 54.7

136.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$6.22 R 102

155.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.15 R 18.74

100.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$0.69 R 11.34

146.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$0.58 R 9.42

246.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.34 R 21.98

83.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$0.58 R 9.56

217.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.22 R 19.94

63.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.85 R 13.93

127.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.58 R 9.43

36.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$3.16 R 51.7

109.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$4.91 R 80.3

16.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.42 R 23.17

-3.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.77 R 28.95

67.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.63 R 26.64

45.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.23

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$1.73 R 28.24

147.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.57 R 9.35

43.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$6.65 R 109

175.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.30 R 21.32

58.46%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$19.8K R 324.3K

72.77%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$23.9K R 391.2K

64.18%

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

$148 €127

$111 R 1,819

32.93%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$16.63 R 272

23.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.11

$33.36 R 545

18.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.20

$29.39 R 480

62.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$6.76 R 110

35.80%

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

$614 €529

$209 R 3,414

194.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$4,683 R 76.6K

242.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$42.64 R 697

145.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.22

$29.89 R 489

40.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$93.5 R 1,529

0.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$74.1 R 1,211

61.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,402

$365 R 5,960

346.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$340 R 5,562

268.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$683 R 11.2K

343.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,740

$679 R 11.1K

197.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,716

$778 R 12.7K

902.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,679

$606 R 9,902

605.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,381

$3,017 R 49.3K

-46.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

12.01

-68.28%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Port Shepstone: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $365 in Port Shepstone. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Port Shepstone pays 88% 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 $28.00 in Port Shepstone for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $134 per month, with Port Shepstone 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 Shepstone: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Port Shepstone differ by about 143% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $908 including rent). Port Shepstone is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Port Shepstone earns 88% 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 $365 in Port Shepstone. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 102% 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 $908 in Port Shepstone – a 143% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $908 in Port Shepstone versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Port Shepstone but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Port Shepstone 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 Shepstone 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 Shepstone gentler on the wallet – expenses run 143% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.