Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Stilbaai

For one person, living is cheaper in Stilbaai: $1,102 a month against $2,206 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon, Portugal
Stilbaai, South Africa
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,206
/mo nomad
Stilbaai
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,102
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Stilbaai

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Stilbaai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,206 in Lisbon versus $1,102 in Stilbaai.

  • Lisbon $2,206
  • Stilbaai $1,102

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,276 in Lisbon versus $1,838 in Stilbaai.

  • Lisbon $3,276
  • Stilbaai $1,838

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $2,574 in Stilbaai.

  • Lisbon $4,346
  • Stilbaai $2,574

Living in Lisbon is roughly 100% more expensive than in Stilbaai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 63% above, Stilbaai is 18% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Stilbaai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.86 €15.01
$11.99 R 198
40.62%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.0 €54.4
$43.94 R 724
38.92%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.98 €9.78
$6.14 R 101
78.83%
Cappuccino
$3.05 €2.72
$2.41 R 39.67
26.56%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.28 €2.03
$1.32 R 21.68
72.73%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.68 €1.50
$0.99 R 16.37
69.70%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.44 €3.06
$3.09 R 50.8
11.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.91 €3.48
$3.59 R 59.1
8.91%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Stilbaai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.15 €1.02
$1.36 R 22.41
-15.44%
White Bread (500g)
$1.89 €1.68
$1.25 R 20.61
51.20%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 €1.34
$2.13 R 35.13
-29.58%
Eggs
$4.12 €3.66
$3.08 R 50.8
33.77%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.01 €11.58
$8.83 R 146
47.34%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.04 €7.16
$6.75 R 111
19.11%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.89 €15.93
$9.73 R 160
83.86%
Apples (1kg)
$2.27 €2.02
$1.83 R 30.17
24.04%
Banana (1kg)
$1.74 €1.55
$1.88 R 30.90
-7.45%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.82 €1.62
$1.69 R 27.77
7.69%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.69 €2.39
$2.14 R 35.33
25.70%
Potato (1kg)
$1.77 €1.57
$1.50 R 24.67
18.00%
Onion (1kg)
$1.94 €1.72
$1.54 R 25.35
25.97%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.46 €1.30
$1.29 R 21.28
13.18%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.76 €0.68
$1.18 R 19.49
-35.59%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.66 €5.93
$3.58 R 59.0
86.03%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.64 €5.02
$5.95 R 98.0
-5.21%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.29 €1.15
$1.38 R 22.74
-6.52%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.90
$2.19 R 36.15
-2.28%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Stilbaai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.30 €2.05
$1.64 R 26.97
40.24%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.02 €39.19
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.98 €3.55
$0.94 R 15.57
323.40%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.64 €0.57
$0.84 R 13.87
-23.81%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$18.93 €16.85
$5.09 R 83.9
271.91%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.28 €2.03
$1.56 R 25.64
46.15%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.4K €29.7K
$34.3K R 565.7K
-2.78%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.5K €34.3K
$34.2K R 563.2K
12.68%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Stilbaai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$158 €141
$118 R 1,940
34.39%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.54 €15.62
$25.60 R 422
-31.48%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.18 €27.77
$40.19 R 662
-22.42%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Stilbaai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.64 €39.75
$33.77 R 556
32.19%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.98 €16.90
$10.44 R 172
81.80%
Cinema Ticket
$9.58 €8.53
$8.93 R 147
7.28%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Stilbaai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$674 €600
$301 R 4,958
123.89%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.7K €16.7K
$8,205 R 135.2K
128.28%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Stilbaai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.0
$56.4 R 929
81.35%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.90 €40.87
$32.06 R 528
43.17%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$102 €91.0
$120 R 1,985
-15.17%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$122 €109
$104 R 1,712
17.42%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Stilbaai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,641 €1,461
$390 R 6,427
320.60%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,187 €1,057
$315 R 5,190
276.97%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,825 €2,515
$778 R 12.8K
262.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,018 €1,797
$813 R 13.4K
148.15%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,836 €6,977
$850 R 14.0K
821.80%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,701 €4,186
$750 R 12.4K
526.75%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Stilbaai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,687 €1,502
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.82
10.89
-64.92%

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

Last update for Lisbon: November 1, 2026

Last update for Stilbaai: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Stilbaai
$315 73.5% $872
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$275
Stilbaai
$224 18.3% $50
Eating Out
Lisbon
$245
Stilbaai
$175 28.6% $70
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$207
Stilbaai
$184 11.3% $23
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$168
Stilbaai
$141 16% $27
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Stilbaai
$52 19.1% $12
Getting Around
Lisbon
$60
Stilbaai
$12 * 80.6% $49

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,641 in Lisbon and $390 in Stilbaai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61 in Lisbon vs $44 in Stilbaai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $224 per month, with Stilbaai cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇿🇦 Stilbaai
🕒 Local time
05:40 5:40 AM
07:40 7:40 AM
2 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
8,000
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.89 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Stilbaai 8,710 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Stilbaai

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Stilbaai?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,206 in Lisbon and $1,102 in Stilbaai, so Stilbaai is about 50% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Lisbon compared to Stilbaai?
You’d need roughly $3,309 in Lisbon and $1,653 in Stilbaai to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do apartment prices compare in Lisbon and in Stilbaai?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,641 in Lisbon versus $390 in Stilbaai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more expensive overall: Lisbon or Stilbaai?
All in, you’ll spend $2,206 per month in Lisbon versus $1,102 in Stilbaai – Stilbaai is about 50% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,102 in Stilbaai versus $2,206 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.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Stilbaai?
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.
Is Lisbon or Stilbaai safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Stilbaai are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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