Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Pretoria Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Pretoria

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,151 in Pretoria.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,764 in Pretoria.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $2,377 in Pretoria.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 99% more expensive than in Pretoria, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Pretoria is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$8.18 R 135

97.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$33.02 R 547

91.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$4.90 R 81.1

110.61%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$2.12 R 35.18

33.49%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$1.02 R 16.97

124.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.87 R 14.43

81.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$2.27 R 37.58

49.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$2.79 R 46.13

44.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.19 R 19.64

-8.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.02 R 16.90

71.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.56 R 25.86

12.82%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.45 R 40.57

29.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$7.65 R 127

72.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$4.71 R 77.9

69.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$6.40 R 106

142.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.63 R 26.95

45.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.53 R 25.28

11.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.61 R 26.66

24.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$1.65 R 27.31

47.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.32 R 21.84

33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.20 R 19.88

69.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.13 R 18.78

69.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.15 R 19.04

-26.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$2.85 R 47.17

130.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$5.32 R 88.2

4.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.59 R 26.25

-16.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$1.86 R 30.81

59.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$3.11 R 51.6

-26.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

$65.1 R 1,078

-29.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$1.38 R 22.89

206.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$1.36 R 22.53

-40.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$3.03 R 50.2

508.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.30 R 21.55

60.00%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$19.1K R 316.2K

81.49%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$25.9K R 427.9K

51.48%

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

$148 €130

$126 R 2,092

17.16%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$36.89 R 611

-44.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$38.13 R 631

3.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$32.17 R 533

49.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

$10.56 R 175

76.14%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$7.73 R 128

19.28%

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

$616 €539

$200 R 3,319

207.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$4,263 R 70.6K

285.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$50.4 R 834

103.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$32.06 R 531

30.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$86.1 R 1,425

10.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$89.4 R 1,479

36.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$399 R 6,604

309.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$402 R 6,647

206.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$731 R 12.1K

323.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$775 R 12.8K

162.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

$877 R 14.5K

793.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

$715 R 11.8K

514.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

$1,482 R 24.5K

8.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

11.69

-67.41%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Pretoria: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $399 in Pretoria. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 8% 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 $33.00 in Pretoria for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $183 per month, with Pretoria 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 Pretoria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Pretoria differ by about 99% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,151 including rent). Pretoria is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 8% 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 $399 in Pretoria. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $200 in Pretoria. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,151 in Pretoria versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Pretoria but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Pretoria 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 Pretoria 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 Pretoria gentler on the wallet – expenses run 99% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.