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: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $1,370 in Pretoria.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $2,090 in Pretoria.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $2,811 in Pretoria.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 69% more expensive than in Pretoria, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 69% above, Pretoria 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.93

$9.58 R 154

80.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.6

$39.57 R 636

59.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.83

$5.52 R 88.6

106.34%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.75

$2.28 R 36.62

39.91%

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

$2.45 €2.11

$1.08 R 17.31

126.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.90 R 14.52

95.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.10

$2.65 R 42.57

35.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.93

$3.35 R 53.8

1.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.19 R 19.14

4.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.11 R 17.91

78.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.89 R 30.34

-19.58%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.49

$2.53 R 40.70

59.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.68

$8.56 R 137

58.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.24

$4.99 R 80.2

68.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.75

$7.51 R 121

143.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$1.92 R 30.91

19.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.66 R 26.63

4.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.80 R 28.84

3.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.27

$1.68 R 26.99

56.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.19 R 19.15

61.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$1.22 R 19.63

71.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.25 R 20.04

15.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.38 R 22.15

-39.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.85

$3.33 R 53.5

103.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.93

$5.13 R 82.4

11.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.55 R 24.84

-10.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$2.05 R 32.98

8.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.07

$4.73 R 75.9

-49.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.37

$180 R 2,891

-74.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.60

$0.32 R 5.17

1203.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.80 R 12.79

42.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.26

$15.15 R 243

16.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.01

$1.53 R 24.64

51.63%

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

$35.3K €30.5K

$36.0K R 578.0K

-1.80%

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

$41.4K €35.8K

$35.4K R 569.1K

16.98%

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

$170 €147

$154 R 2,472

10.69%

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

$19.34 €16.69

$37.44 R 601

-48.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €29.03

$37.80 R 607

-11.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.50

$33.04 R 531

45.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.17

$10.86 R 175

83.24%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.56

$7.25 R 116

36.83%

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

$717 €619

$267 R 4,284

168.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.1K

$8,119 R 130.4K

115.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.4

$54.8 R 880

91.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.51

$32.45 R 521

44.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.2

$94.4 R 1,517

9.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$85.2 R 1,368

45.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,447

$476 R 7,648

252.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,097

$410 R 6,592

209.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,575

$980 R 15.7K

204.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,719

$774 R 12.4K

157.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,753

$905 R 14.5K

764.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,019

$719 R 11.6K

547.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,366

$1,417 R 22.8K

11.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

11.34

-66.58%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Pretoria: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $476 in Pretoria. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 12% 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 $40.00 in Pretoria for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $199 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 69% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $1,370 including rent). Pretoria is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 12% 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 $476 in Pretoria. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $717 in Lisbon versus $267 in Pretoria. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,370 in Pretoria versus $2,316 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 69% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.