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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $819 in Stilbaai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,329 in Stilbaai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,839 in Stilbaai.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 170% more expensive than Stilbaai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Stilbaai is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$5.52 R 89.7

188.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$44.44 R 722

45.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$4.37 R 71.1

140.50%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$1.39 R 22.55

106.47%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.59 R 9.54

279.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.58 R 9.37

158.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$2.83 R 45.94

23.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$1.71 R 27.87

126.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.81 R 13.17

40.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.55 R 8.98

218.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.64 R 26.62

7.32%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.38 R 38.61

35.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$4.51 R 73.2

199.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$4.38 R 71.1

80.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$7.56 R 123

109.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.22 R 19.80

89.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$0.81 R 13.12

109.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.13 R 18.37

77.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.26 R 20.53

95.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$0.33 R 5.30

457.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.18 R 19.25

69.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.87 R 14.14

121.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.54 R 8.78

46.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$3.17 R 51.5

108.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$4.86 R 79.0

17.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$0.83 R 13.44

65.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.10 R 17.85

170.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.60 R 26.02

48.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$1.37 R 22.21

213.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.28 R 4.57

192.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$4.55 R 74.0

302.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.26 R 20.40

63.49%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$16.9K R 274.0K

103.29%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$16.6K R 269.2K

137.20%

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

$148 €127

$52.1 R 847

183.60%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$33.16 R 539

-38.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$27.81 R 452

42.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$31.09 R 505

53.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$5.16 R 83.9

77.91%

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

$614 €528

$216 R 3,506

184.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$1,114 R 18.1K

1340.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$27.55 R 448

279.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$17.07 R 277

146.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$55.0 R 893

70.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$57.1 R 928

109.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$357 R 5,804

355.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$340 R 5,529

268.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$684 R 11.1K

343.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$701 R 11.4K

188.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$844 R 13.7K

824.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$744 R 12.1K

474.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$2,412 R 39.2K

-33.51%

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 Stilbaai: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $357 in Stilbaai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stilbaai pays 50% 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 $44.00 in Stilbaai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $139 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 170% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $819 including rent). Stilbaai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Stilbaai earns 50% 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 $357 in Stilbaai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 94% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $819 in Stilbaai – a 170% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $819 in Stilbaai versus $2,210 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 170% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.