Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Stilbaai Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Stilbaai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $883 in Stilbaai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $1,466 in Stilbaai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $2,050 in Stilbaai.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 160% more expensive than in Stilbaai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Stilbaai is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.31

$6.30 R 102

179.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.7

$49.97 R 812

25.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.08

$4.86 R 78.9

138.27%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$1.54 R 24.95

101.30%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$0.60 R 9.76

315.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.62 R 10.06

180.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$3.21 R 52.2

8.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$1.93 R 31.31

78.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$0.92 R 14.91

25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$0.62 R 10.03

208.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.83 R 29.65

-18.03%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$3.09 R 50.1

28.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.57

$4.98 R 81.0

166.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.97

$5.08 R 82.5

57.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.70

$8.44 R 137

113.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$1.40 R 22.75

67.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.52

$0.91 R 14.84

92.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$1.23 R 19.98

50.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$1.35 R 22.00

88.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.60

$0.39 R 6.35

371.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$1.61 R 26.10

30.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.29

$0.90 R 14.55

65.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.65 R 10.53

26.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.18

$3.66 R 59.5

93.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.14

$5.04 R 81.9

17.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.14

$0.99 R 16.02

32.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.28 R 20.82

66.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$1.58 R 25.61

49.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.57

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$0.66 R 10.70

518.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.32 R 5.22

256.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.88

$5.18 R 84.1

229.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.41 R 22.92

63.83%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$19.0K R 308.0K

80.01%

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

$41.4K €36.0K

$18.7K R 304.5K

120.72%

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

$169 €147

$56.5 R 917

198.53%

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

$19.33 €16.83

$31.70 R 515

-39.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.17

$31.77 R 516

5.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.51

$32.76 R 532

49.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.92

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.33

$5.58 R 90.7

71.51%

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

$696 €606

$271 R 4,401

156.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$1,260 R 20.5K

1277.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.7

$30.95 R 503

240.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.56

$19.05 R 309

150.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.5

$61.9 R 1,006

62.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$61.5 R 998

102.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,446

$433 R 7,037

283.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,085

$373 R 6,053

234.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,580

$808 R 13.1K

266.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,783

$769 R 12.5K

166.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,819

$903 R 14.7K

767.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,886

$682 R 11.1K

554.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,420

$2,512 R 40.8K

-35.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

11.02

-65.70%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Stilbaai: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $433 in Stilbaai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stilbaai pays 54% 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 $50.0 in Stilbaai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $158 per month, with Stilbaai 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 Stilbaai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Stilbaai differ by about 160% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $883 including rent). Stilbaai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 54% lower in Stilbaai. 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $433 in Stilbaai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 75% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,296 per month in Lisbon versus $883 in Stilbaai – a 160% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $883 in Stilbaai versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Stilbaai but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Stilbaai 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 Stilbaai 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 Stilbaai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 160% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.