Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Secunda Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Secunda

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $1,117 in Secunda.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $1,685 in Secunda.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $2,253 in Secunda.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 107% more expensive than in Secunda, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Secunda is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.87

$6.09 R 97.4

184.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$31.27 R 500

102.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.79

$5.71 R 91.3

99.47%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.74

$2.36 R 37.79

35.17%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$0.85 R 13.67

188.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.52 R 8.35

238.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$1.10 R 17.65

226.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$1.35 R 21.67

151.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.23 R 19.68

0.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$0.93 R 14.89

112.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.87 R 29.94

-18.72%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.47

$2.61 R 41.74

54.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.64

$8.27 R 132

63.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.21

$5.10 R 81.5

64.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.69

$7.35 R 118

148.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.88 R 30.11

21.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.68 R 26.95

3.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.84 R 29.45

1.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$1.77 R 28.30

48.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.30 R 20.82

47.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$1.35 R 21.55

54.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.23 R 19.61

17.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$1.38 R 22.13

-39.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$3.40 R 54.3

99.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$5.33 R 85.3

7.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.58 R 25.23

-12.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$1.98 R 31.68

12.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$1.57 R 25.12

52.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.22

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$0.32 R 5.15

1203.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.79 R 12.63

44.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.20

$14.76 R 236

19.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.55 R 24.76

49.68%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$37.3K R 596.0K

-5.18%

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

$41.4K €35.6K

$34.7K R 555.1K

19.42%

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

$170 €146

$154 R 2,458

10.81%

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

$19.34 €16.62

$38.13 R 610

-49.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.92

$38.26 R 612

-12.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.35

$32.74 R 524

46.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.11

$12.51 R 200

59.07%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.53

$7.51 R 120

32.09%

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

$717 €617

$94.0 R 1,503

663.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$5,642 R 90.2K

209.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$54.1 R 864

93.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.36

$32.79 R 524

43.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €88.9

$93.6 R 1,497

10.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$86.3 R 1,381

43.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,441

$408 R 6,525

310.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,093

$384 R 6,138

231.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,566

$763 R 12.2K

291.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,713

$760 R 12.2K

162.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,728

$890 R 14.2K

779.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,004

$657 R 10.5K

609.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,361

$1,521 R 24.3K

4.05%

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 Secunda: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $408 in Secunda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 4% 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 $31.00 in Secunda for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $198 per month, with Secunda 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 Secunda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Secunda differ by about 107% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $1,117 including rent). Secunda is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 4% 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 $408 in Secunda. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,316 per month in Lisbon versus $1,117 in Secunda – a 107% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,117 in Secunda versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Secunda but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Secunda 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 Secunda 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 Secunda gentler on the wallet – expenses run 107% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.