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: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $1,002 in Somerset West.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $1,623 in Somerset West.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $2,245 in Somerset West.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 122% more expensive than Somerset West, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Somerset West is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.84

$8.35 R 140

93.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$39.50 R 662

63.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$5.02 R 84.1

106.77%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$2.04 R 34.16

35.78%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$0.87 R 14.58

158.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.83 R 13.87

89.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

$2.45 R 41.14

42.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

$2.59 R 43.51

54.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$0.94 R 15.71

14.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$0.90 R 15.04

93.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.82 R 30.59

-4.40%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$2.09 R 34.98

52.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$7.67 R 129

75.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$4.70 R 78.8

70.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

$7.61 R 128

111.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$1.56 R 26.20

46.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.41 R 23.72

21.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$1.45 R 24.24

33.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$1.57 R 26.36

61.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.13 R 18.99

61.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.22 R 20.53

67.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$1.06 R 17.73

86.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$1.00 R 16.72

-15.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$3.03 R 50.8

126.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

$5.73 R 96.2

0.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.40 R 23.45

-2.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$1.67 R 27.97

73.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$1.64 R 27.47

39.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$1.36 R 22.81

200.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.94 R 15.69

-12.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$4.37 R 73.2

318.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$1.19 R 19.96

68.91%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$19.8K R 332.2K

78.02%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$22.1K R 369.8K

74.53%

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

$145 €124

$68.3 R 1,146

112.79%

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

$20.96 €17.94

$30.11 R 505

-30.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$40.84 R 685

-1.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

$37.90 R 636

28.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$6.77 R 114

33.83%

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

$607 €519

$214 R 3,586

183.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$3,381 R 56.7K

382.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$31.47 R 528

232.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$27.32 R 458

49.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$66.3 R 1,112

41.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$63.1 R 1,058

87.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

$631 R 10.6K

154.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

$398 R 6,680

210.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

$1,221 R 20.5K

149.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

$867 R 14.5K

137.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

$1,226 R 20.6K

528.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

$891 R 14.9K

378.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

$1,393 R 23.4K

13.69%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Somerset West: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $631 in Somerset West. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 14% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $40.00 in Somerset West for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 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 122% in total monthly costs ($2,227 vs $1,002 including rent). Somerset West is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 14% 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: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $631 in Somerset West. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 53% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,227 per month in Lisbon versus $1,002 in Somerset West – a 122% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,002 in Somerset West versus $2,227 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 122% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.