Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sun City Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sun City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,322 in Lisbon versus $1,272 in Sun City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,409 in Lisbon versus $1,971 in Sun City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,496 in Lisbon versus $2,670 in Sun City.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 83% more expensive than in Sun City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Sun City is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.10 €14.63

$12.46 R 201

37.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.1 €54.8

$48.49 R 781

32.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 €10.02

$7.27 R 117

61.07%

Cappuccino

$3.14 €2.69

$2.48 R 39.93

26.61%

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

$2.51 €2.14

$1.16 R 18.64

116.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 €1.42

$0.93 R 15.01

78.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.51 €3.01

$2.18 R 35.05

61.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 €2.88

$2.80 R 45.14

20.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €0.99

$1.37 R 22.01

-15.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.02 €1.73

$1.30 R 20.89

55.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 €1.35

$1.77 R 28.50

-10.73%

Eggs

$4.05 €3.46

$2.50 R 40.28

62.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 €10.96

$9.01 R 145

42.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.02 €6.86

$5.89 R 94.8

36.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.03 €14.57

$9.11 R 147

86.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 €2.03

$2.06 R 33.17

15.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.88 R 30.21

-2.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.81 R 29.14

9.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.67 €2.28

$2.05 R 32.94

30.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.63

$1.72 R 27.78

10.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.78 R 28.71

10.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 €1.23

$1.46 R 23.52

-2.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.78

$1.26 R 20.35

-27.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.84

$3.34 R 53.8

104.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.73 €4.90

$6.06 R 97.5

-5.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.14

$1.79 R 28.87

-25.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.83

$2.44 R 39.36

-12.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.05

$1.50 R 24.17

60.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.94 €39.30

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.25 €3.63

$0.83 R 13.37

412.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 €0.95

$0.96 R 15.42

15.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.99 €15.39

$14.71 R 237

22.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.88

$1.52 R 24.47

44.74%

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

$35.2K €30.1K

$37.0K R 595.2K

-4.74%

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

$40.0K €34.2K

$32.1K R 516.9K

24.76%

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

$171 €146

$213 R 3,427

-19.58%

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

$19.61 €16.78

$35.68 R 575

-45.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.19 €28.39

$39.04 R 629

-14.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.96 €41.02

$33.38 R 538

43.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.88 €17.01

Cinema Ticket

$10.12 €8.66

$7.91 R 127

27.94%

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

$700 €599

$259 R 4,165

170.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €14.8K

$5,606 R 90.3K

209.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 €93.4

$57.2 R 922

90.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.84 €40.92

$44.17 R 711

8.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €90.9

$109 R 1,749

-2.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €108

$110 R 1,765

15.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 €1,461

$404 R 6,509

322.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,265 €1,082

$373 R 6,010

239.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,973 €2,543

$768 R 12.4K

287.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,000 €1,711

$768 R 12.4K

160.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,013 €6,855

$876 R 14.1K

814.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,525 €3,871

$633 R 10.2K

614.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,663 €1,422

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.73

10.91

-65.81%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 15, 2026

Last update for Sun City: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,708 in Lisbon and $404 in Sun City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $48.00 in Sun City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $222 per month, with Sun City 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 Sun City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Sun City differ by about 83% in total monthly costs ($2,322 vs $1,272 including rent). Sun City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,483 in Lisbon and $1,908 in Sun City 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,708 in Lisbon versus $404 in Sun City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,322 per month in Lisbon versus $1,272 in Sun City – a 83% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,272 in Sun City versus $2,322 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sun City but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Sun City 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 Sun City 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 Sun City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 83% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.