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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,061 in Stellenbosch.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,726 in Stellenbosch.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $2,391 in Stellenbosch.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 108% more expensive than Stellenbosch, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Stellenbosch is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$8.31 R 135

91.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$33.72 R 548

92.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$4.24 R 68.9

147.88%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$1.84 R 29.83

55.98%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.80 R 13.04

180.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.59 R 9.55

154.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$2.22 R 36.09

57.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$2.22 R 36.04

74.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.85 R 13.83

34.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.75 R 12.11

133.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.53 R 24.84

15.03%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$1.90 R 30.91

69.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$6.85 R 111

96.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$4.69 R 76.3

68.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$7.12 R 116

122.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.04 R 16.94

122.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.23 R 19.93

38.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$0.77 R 12.51

161.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.38 R 22.48

78.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$0.82 R 13.30

124.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.18 R 19.23

69.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.98 R 15.89

96.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.85 R 13.74

-7.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$2.89 R 46.94

128.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$6.30 R 102

-9.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.39 R 22.62

-1.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.75 R 28.44

69.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.11 R 18.01

113.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$8.21 R 133

454.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$1.37 R 22.28

213.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.93 R 15.10

-11.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$2.73 R 44.42

570.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.20 R 19.48

71.67%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$13.0K R 210.8K

164.27%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$23.5K R 381.5K

67.39%

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

$148 €127

$92.7 R 1,507

59.46%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$28.94 R 470

-29.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$40.35 R 656

-1.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$35.56 R 578

34.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$2.87 R 46.64

559.23%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$5.55 R 90.2

65.41%

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

$614 €528

$212 R 3,442

189.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$1,338 R 21.7K

1099.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$45.23 R 735

131.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$19.98 R 325

110.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$99.2 R 1,612

-5.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$55.5 R 902

115.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$560 R 9,100

190.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$457 R 7,428

174.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$1,343 R 21.8K

125.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$1,068 R 17.4K

89.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$2,503 R 40.7K

-35.93%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Stellenbosch: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $560 in Stellenbosch. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stellenbosch pays 56% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $34.00 in Stellenbosch for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $160 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 108% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,061 including rent). Stellenbosch is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Stellenbosch earns 56% less. 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $560 in Stellenbosch. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 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 69% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,061 in Stellenbosch versus $2,210 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 108% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.