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: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $1,086 in Randburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $1,772 in Randburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $2,459 in Randburg.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 111% more expensive than in Randburg, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Randburg is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$10.89 R 178

61.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$46.23 R 757

35.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$5.49 R 89.9

110.93%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.51 R 41.16

23.51%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$1.17 R 19.22

112.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.97 R 15.95

79.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$2.54 R 41.68

37.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$3.29 R 53.9

4.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.36 R 22.27

-15.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.17 R 19.15

63.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.81 R 29.59

-17.13%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$2.74 R 44.92

45.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$8.42 R 138

57.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$5.56 R 91.1

44.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

$7.32 R 120

146.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$2.05 R 33.56

14.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.65 R 27.09

6.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$1.79 R 29.31

3.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$1.62 R 26.49

57.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$1.70 R 27.76

8.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$1.64 R 26.94

28.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$1.19 R 19.45

25.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$1.28 R 21.02

-35.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$3.47 R 56.8

104.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$5.28 R 86.6

11.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$1.54 R 25.17

-14.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.28 R 37.40

-6.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$0.32 R 5.32

1175.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.89 R 14.65

28.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

$14.60 R 239

17.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.49 R 24.37

55.03%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$36.8K R 603.1K

-7.31%

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

$41.4K €36.1K

$31.9K R 522.8K

29.63%

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

$169 €147

$154 R 2,515

9.76%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$38.27 R 627

-49.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$37.05 R 607

-9.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

$20.80 R 341

134.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

$4.58 R 75.1

324.24%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$7.20 R 118

32.92%

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

$696 €607

$267 R 4,375

160.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$5,650 R 92.5K

207.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$55.4 R 907

90.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$46.65 R 764

2.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$106 R 1,743

-5.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$83.6 R 1,370

48.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

$308 R 5,051

438.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$303 R 4,965

311.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

$557 R 9,130

431.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

$735 R 12.0K

178.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

$1,960 R 32.1K

-16.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

11.34

-66.67%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Randburg: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $308 in Randburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Randburg pays 20% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $46.00 in Randburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $205 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 ($2,296 vs $1,086 including rent). Randburg is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 20% lower in Randburg. 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $308 in Randburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,296 per month in Lisbon versus $1,086 in Randburg – a 111% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,086 in Randburg versus $2,296 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.