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: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $1,186 in Somerset West.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,965 in Somerset West.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $2,744 in Somerset West.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 91% more expensive than in Somerset West, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Somerset West is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$12.27 R 198

43.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$47.27 R 761

36.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$5.74 R 92.4

102.96%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$2.12 R 34.22

53.77%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$1.07 R 17.18

132.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.95 R 15.33

75.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$2.73 R 44.01

27.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$3.46 R 55.7

3.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.05 R 16.92

12.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.03 R 16.60

89.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$2.13 R 34.38

-26.76%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$2.34 R 37.69

71.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$8.95 R 144

48.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$5.44 R 87.5

54.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$9.71 R 156

87.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.93 R 31.03

20.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.99 R 32.07

-13.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.71 R 27.51

12.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.72 R 27.76

53.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.57 R 25.26

21.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.54 R 24.79

37.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.38 R 22.24

4.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$1.06 R 17.07

-24.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$3.46 R 55.8

102.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$6.40 R 103

-7.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.44 R 23.12

-5.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.84 R 29.56

16.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$1.21 R 19.43

96.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

$61.3 R 986

-24.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$0.65 R 10.41

544.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$1.60 R 25.74

-31.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$5.06 R 81.4

241.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.44 R 23.14

56.25%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$30.3K R 487.4K

13.89%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$30.0K R 483.3K

38.67%

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

$171 €147

$86.2 R 1,388

98.28%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$31.45 R 506

-39.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$40.32 R 649

-14.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$46.98 R 757

5.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$11.11 R 179

75.61%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$7.44 R 120

35.75%

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

$699 €603

$265 R 4,267

163.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$3,814 R 61.4K

365.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$32.05 R 516

226.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$31.89 R 514

50.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$72.5 R 1,168

40.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$59.7 R 961

115.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$670 R 10.8K

147.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$436 R 7,029

181.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$1,369 R 22.0K

112.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$978 R 15.7K

106.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$1,316 R 21.2K

517.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$921 R 14.8K

403.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$1,476 R 23.8K

9.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

10.12

-62.65%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Somerset West: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $670 in Somerset West. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 10% 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: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $47.00 in Somerset West for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $209 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 91% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $1,186 including rent). Somerset West is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 10% 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $670 in Somerset West. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $265 in Somerset West. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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

At $1,186 in Somerset West versus $2,268 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 91% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.