Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Stellenbosch Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Stellenbosch

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $1,206 in Stellenbosch.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $1,983 in Stellenbosch.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $2,759 in Stellenbosch.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 92% more expensive than in Stellenbosch, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Stellenbosch is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.87

$7.27 R 116

137.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$37.85 R 605

67.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.79

$5.05 R 80.8

125.54%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.74

$2.12 R 33.83

50.47%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$0.98 R 15.66

150.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.79 R 12.62

122.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$2.84 R 45.47

26.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$3.34 R 53.5

1.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.44 R 22.97

-13.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.15 R 18.39

72.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.81 R 28.90

-16.02%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.47

$3.02 R 48.32

33.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.64

$8.99 R 144

50.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.21

$5.93 R 94.8

41.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.69

$7.53 R 120

142.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.83 R 29.20

25.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.53 R 24.54

13.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.74 R 27.80

6.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$1.58 R 25.20

66.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.11 R 17.73

72.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$1.53 R 24.42

36.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.38 R 22.08

4.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$1.17 R 18.75

-28.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$3.59 R 57.4

88.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$6.07 R 97.0

-5.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.35 R 21.65

2.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$2.19 R 35.06

1.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.22

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$0.65 R 10.37

541.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.55 R 24.82

-26.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.20

$5.23 R 83.7

238.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.37 R 21.87

69.34%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$37.2K R 595.6K

-5.11%

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

$41.4K €35.6K

$33.3K R 533.1K

24.34%

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

$170 €146

$106 R 1,687

61.45%

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

$19.34 €16.62

$30.80 R 493

-37.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.92

$35.18 R 563

-4.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.35

$29.14 R 466

65.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.11

$17.25 R 276

15.36%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.53

$8.88 R 142

11.71%

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

$717 €617

$257 R 4,105

179.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$2,466 R 39.4K

608.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$54.9 R 878

90.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.36

$30.38 R 486

54.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €88.9

$120 R 1,922

-13.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$91.4 R 1,461

35.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,441

$705 R 11.3K

137.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,093

$487 R 7,788

161.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,566

$1,514 R 24.2K

97.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,713

$1,198 R 19.2K

66.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,728

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,004

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,361

$2,637 R 42.2K

-39.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

10.7

-64.58%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Stellenbosch: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $705 in Stellenbosch. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stellenbosch pays 67% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $38.00 in Stellenbosch for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $207 per month, with Stellenbosch 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 Stellenbosch: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Stellenbosch differ by about 92% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $1,206 including rent). Stellenbosch is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 67% lower in Stellenbosch. 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: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $705 in Stellenbosch. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% 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 $1,206 in Stellenbosch – a 92% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,206 in Stellenbosch versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Stellenbosch but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Stellenbosch 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 Stellenbosch 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 Stellenbosch gentler on the wallet – expenses run 92% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.