Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Randburg Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Randburg

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,048 in Randburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,609 in Randburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $2,169 in Randburg.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 111% more expensive than Randburg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Randburg is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$11.39 R 186

39.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$41.68 R 681

55.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$4.83 R 78.9

117.60%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.25 R 36.76

27.56%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$1.02 R 16.65

119.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.83 R 13.60

80.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$2.51 R 40.97

39.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$2.83 R 46.20

37.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.14 R 18.65

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.02 R 16.61

71.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.64 R 26.87

7.32%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.44 R 39.96

31.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.62

$7.58 R 124

77.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$4.72 R 77.1

67.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$6.54 R 107

142.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.64 R 26.75

40.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.48 R 24.17

14.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.54 R 25.16

30.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.62 R 26.40

51.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.38 R 22.55

33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.40 R 22.81

42.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.05 R 17.11

83.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.96 R 15.73

-17.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$3.05 R 49.90

116.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$5.32 R 87.0

7.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.51 R 24.73

-9.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.79 R 29.27

65.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.68 R 27.42

41.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.23

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$1.11 R 18.11

286.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.10 R 17.95

-25.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$3.00 R 49.00

510.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.25 R 20.39

64.80%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$22.0K R 359.0K

56.09%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$24.3K R 396.5K

62.01%

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

$148 €127

$125 R 2,040

18.48%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$40.24 R 658

-49.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.11

$42.12 R 689

-5.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.20

$17.87 R 292

167.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$4.32 R 70.7

337.96%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$7.46 R 122

23.06%

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

$614 €529

$211 R 3,450

190.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$4,294 R 70.2K

273.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$51.0 R 833

105.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.22

$31.86 R 521

32.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$90.0 R 1,471

4.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$78.8 R 1,287

51.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,402

$279 R 4,558

483.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$340 R 5,565

268.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$507 R 8,289

497.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,740

$642 R 10.5K

214.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,716

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,679

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,381

$1,980 R 32.4K

-19.02%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Randburg: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $279 in Randburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Randburg pays 23% 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 $42.00 in Randburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $180 per month, with Randburg 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 Randburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Randburg differ by about 111% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,048 including rent). Randburg is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Randburg earns 23% 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 $279 in Randburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% 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 $1,048 in Randburg – a 111% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,048 in Randburg versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Randburg but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Randburg 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 Randburg 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 Randburg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 111% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.