Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sandton Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sandton

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,116 in Sandton.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,766 in Sandton.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $2,416 in Sandton.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 98% more expensive than Sandton, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Sandton is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$11.10 R 180

43.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$45.62 R 741

41.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$4.80 R 78.0

118.96%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.13 R 34.59

34.74%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$1.02 R 16.57

119.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.89 R 14.41

68.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$2.28 R 37.00

53.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$2.56 R 41.62

51.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.20 R 19.47

-5.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.02 R 16.57

71.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.64 R 26.69

7.32%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.45 R 39.88

31.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$7.54 R 122

78.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$4.56 R 74.0

73.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$6.77 R 110

134.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.63 R 26.57

41.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.46 R 23.78

16.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.60 R 25.93

25.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.65 R 26.75

49.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.36 R 22.03

35.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.38 R 22.43

44.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.14 R 18.52

69.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.98 R 15.99

-19.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$2.81 R 45.73

135.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$6.10 R 99.2

-6.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.35 R 21.97

1.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.66 R 27.04

78.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.67 R 27.08

41.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$1.14 R 18.45

276.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.93 R 15.13

-11.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$3.10 R 50.3

490.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.27 R 20.62

62.20%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$22.2K R 361.0K

54.32%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$23.9K R 387.8K

64.67%

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

$148 €127

$120 R 1,950

23.25%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$37.26 R 605

-44.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$42.18 R 685

-6.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$43.30 R 704

10.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$7.36 R 120

24.73%

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

$614 €528

$194 R 3,150

216.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$4,825 R 78.4K

232.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$51.2 R 832

104.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$33.71 R 548

24.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$89.0 R 1,446

5.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$87.4 R 1,420

36.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$385 R 6,255

322.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$379 R 6,157

231.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$664 R 10.8K

356.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$819 R 13.3K

146.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$777 R 12.6K

903.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$720 R 11.7K

493.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$2,116 R 34.4K

-24.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

11.51

-66.90%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Sandton: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $385 in Sandton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sandton pays 32% 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 $46.00 in Sandton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $181 per month, with Sandton 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 Sandton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Sandton differ by about 98% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,116 including rent). Sandton is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Sandton earns 32% 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 $385 in Sandton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 49% 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 $1,116 in Sandton – a 98% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,116 in Sandton versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sandton but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Sandton 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 Sandton 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 Sandton gentler on the wallet – expenses run 98% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.