Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Rustenburg Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Rustenburg

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,217 in Lisbon versus $960 in Rustenburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,245 in Lisbon versus $1,488 in Rustenburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,272 in Lisbon versus $2,016 in Rustenburg.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 131% more expensive than Rustenburg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Rustenburg is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.78 €13.59

$11.27 R 182

40.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.5 €53.8

$44.96 R 728

38.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 €9.07

$3.81 R 61.6

176.64%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.38

$1.90 R 30.70

45.79%

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

$2.28 €1.97

$0.84 R 13.61

171.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.33

$0.48 R 7.85

222.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.55 €3.05

$1.39 R 22.43

155.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 €3.43

$2.08 R 33.71

91.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.07 R 17.37

0.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$0.90 R 14.50

96.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.70 R 27.45

4.12%

Eggs

$3.12 €2.69

$1.91 R 30.87

63.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.34 €11.49

$5.81 R 94.0

129.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.88

$4.17 R 67.6

91.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.92 €13.70

$6.84 R 111

132.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$1.57 R 25.38

45.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.42

$1.38 R 22.31

18.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 €1.70

$1.28 R 20.79

54.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.55 R 25.11

58.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.52

$0.82 R 13.33

115.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.82 R 13.21

140.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.09 R 17.60

80.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.96 R 15.48

-16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.54 €5.63

$2.47 R 40.05

164.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.75 €4.95

$4.70 R 76.1

22.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 €1.13

$1.10 R 17.75

20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 €2.57

$1.14 R 18.51

162.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.34 €2.01

$1.13 R 18.30

107.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.85 €39.48

$44.92 R 727

2.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.26 €3.66

$0.98 R 15.83

334.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.88 R 14.21

-4.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.86 €16.24

$4.14 R 67.1

355.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.29 R 20.83

60.47%

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

$35.2K €30.3K

$22.8K R 368.9K

54.64%

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

$38.6K €33.2K

$23.8K R 385.5K

62.13%

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

$151 €130

$70.5 R 1,140

114.52%

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

$20.91 €18.00

$12.79 R 207

63.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.54 €34.05

$42.54 R 689

-7.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.39 €41.67

$22.93 R 371

111.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.61 €16.02

$5.65 R 91.4

229.38%

Cinema Ticket

$9.04 €7.79

$4.42 R 71.6

104.52%

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

$610 €525

$105 R 1,699

481.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$4,861 R 78.7K

234.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €87.2

$49.40 R 800

104.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.58 €34.94

$33.01 R 534

22.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.0 €80.1

$88.7 R 1,436

4.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$79.6 R 1,288

49.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,603 €1,380

$311 R 5,041

414.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,239 €1,067

$336 R 5,446

268.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,019 €2,599

$678 R 11.0K

345.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,061 €1,775

$574 R 9,290

259.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,981 €6,872

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,533 €3,903

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,628 €1,402

$1,364 R 22.1K

19.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

9.9

-61.52%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 15, 2026

Last update for Rustenburg: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,603 in Lisbon and $311 in Rustenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 19% 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: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $45.00 in Rustenburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $159 per month, with Rustenburg 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 Rustenburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Rustenburg differ by about 131% in total monthly costs ($2,217 vs $960 including rent). Rustenburg is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 19% more on average, 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: $1,603 in Lisbon versus $311 in Rustenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $610 in Lisbon versus $105 in Rustenburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 69% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $960 in Rustenburg versus $2,217 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Rustenburg but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Rustenburg 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 Rustenburg 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 Rustenburg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 131% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.