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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,064 in Stellenbosch.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,742 in Stellenbosch.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $2,419 in Stellenbosch.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 115% more expensive than in Stellenbosch, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Stellenbosch is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$8.29 R 137

95.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$33.91 R 560

86.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$4.14 R 68.4

149.28%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$1.83 R 30.22

54.64%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$0.73 R 12.12

213.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.54 R 8.94

192.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$2.19 R 36.09

55.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$2.21 R 36.46

82.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$0.89 R 14.68

22.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$0.76 R 12.49

130.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.46 R 24.11

20.55%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$1.90 R 31.43

66.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$6.94 R 115

90.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$4.72 R 78.0

68.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$7.08 R 117

119.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.04 R 17.13

127.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.23 R 20.24

39.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$0.81 R 13.30

148.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$1.33 R 21.90

82.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.82 R 13.54

114.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.20 R 19.76

69.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.91 R 15.08

110.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.84 R 13.85

1.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$2.89 R 47.70

127.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$6.00 R 99.1

-7.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.41 R 23.29

-5.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$1.69 R 27.82

75.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$1.11 R 18.29

105.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$8.62 R 142

431.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$1.37 R 22.65

208.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.99 R 16.40

-18.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$2.86 R 47.16

544.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.20 R 19.77

73.33%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$13.2K R 217.6K

162.99%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$23.8K R 393.6K

64.19%

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

$148 €130

$95.8 R 1,581

54.52%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$28.18 R 465

-27.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$40.31 R 665

-1.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$35.89 R 592

33.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

$2.88 R 47.56

545.83%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$5.63 R 92.9

63.77%

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

$616 €540

$212 R 3,501

190.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$1,366 R 22.5K

1103.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$45.14 R 745

127.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$19.87 R 328

110.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$99.5 R 1,642

-4.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$57.0 R 941

114.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$544 R 8,976

200.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$442 R 7,287

179.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$1,341 R 22.1K

131.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$1,061 R 17.5K

91.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$3,128 R 51.6K

-48.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

11.77

-67.63%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Stellenbosch: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $544 in Stellenbosch. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stellenbosch pays 95% 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 $34.00 in Stellenbosch for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $159 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 115% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,064 including rent). Stellenbosch is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 95% 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $544 in Stellenbosch. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $212 in Stellenbosch. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 68% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,064 in Stellenbosch versus $2,291 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 115% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.