Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Somerset West Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Somerset West

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $979 in Somerset West.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,602 in Somerset West.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $2,226 in Somerset West.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 133% more expensive than in Somerset West, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Somerset West is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.74

$8.21 R 137

91.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.3

$39.75 R 662

59.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.11

$4.95 R 82.5

111.11%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.54

$1.99 R 33.15

46.23%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$0.80 R 13.31

186.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.31

$0.87 R 14.56

72.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.11

$2.56 R 42.72

39.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.46

$2.47 R 41.17

60.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$0.88 R 14.64

22.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.94 R 15.68

87.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.48

$1.92 R 31.97

-11.46%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.83

$2.09 R 34.75

55.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.55

$7.37 R 123

79.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.72

$4.94 R 82.3

55.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.75

$7.38 R 123

113.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.99

$1.57 R 26.18

45.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.44

$1.48 R 24.58

12.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.76

$1.45 R 24.15

39.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.16

$1.58 R 26.37

56.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.56

$1.12 R 18.74

59.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.80

$1.22 R 20.38

69.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.72

$1.08 R 18.07

82.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.73

$0.93 R 15.56

-10.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.71

$3.17 R 52.8

106.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.85

$6.00 R 100

-7.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.16

$1.35 R 22.56

-1.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.62

$1.72 R 28.67

75.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.98

$1.67 R 27.81

35.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.41

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.69

$1.39 R 23.13

204.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.01 R 16.86

-15.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.41

$4.52 R 75.3

316.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.76

$1.20 R 19.92

68.33%

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

$35.0K €30.5K

$19.5K R 324.5K

79.45%

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

$39.6K €34.6K

$22.5K R 374.7K

76.24%

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

$148 €129

$68.1 R 1,135

117.19%

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

$20.52 €17.89

$30.11 R 502

-31.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.46

$41.96 R 699

-5.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €42.00

$39.16 R 652

23.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €16.03

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.93

$6.76 R 113

34.62%

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

$615 €536

$217 R 3,611

183.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.2K

$3,346 R 55.7K

386.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.6

$31.20 R 520

225.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.69

$27.43 R 457

53.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €80.5

$64.8 R 1,079

42.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$64.4 R 1,072

89.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,405

$620 R 10.3K

159.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,093

$397 R 6,620

215.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,676

$1,242 R 20.7K

147.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,776

$871 R 14.5K

133.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,757

$1,242 R 20.7K

523.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,737

$881 R 14.7K

386.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,396

$1,393 R 23.2K

14.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

10.5

-63.71%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Last update for Somerset West: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $620 in Somerset West. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 15% 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 $40.00 in Somerset West for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $177 per month, with Somerset West 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 Somerset West: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Somerset West differ by about 133% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $979 including rent). Somerset West is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 15% 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: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $620 in Somerset West. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 51% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,280 per month in Lisbon versus $979 in Somerset West – a 133% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $979 in Somerset West versus $2,280 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Somerset West but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Somerset West 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 Somerset West 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 Somerset West gentler on the wallet – expenses run 133% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.