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: $2,217 in Lisbon versus $1,011 in Sun City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,245 in Lisbon versus $1,628 in Sun City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,272 in Lisbon versus $2,246 in Sun City.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 119% more expensive than in Sun City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Sun City is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.78 €13.77

$11.41 R 188

38.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.5 €54.5

$45.13 R 742

38.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 €9.19

$4.92 R 80.9

114.23%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.41

$2.27 R 37.40

22.03%

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

$2.28 €1.99

$1.02 R 16.84

123.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.35

$0.76 R 12.57

103.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.55 €3.09

$2.60 R 42.67

36.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 €3.47

$2.56 R 42.11

55.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.10 R 18.16

-1.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.54

$0.75 R 12.26

136.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 €1.54

$1.67 R 27.40

5.99%

Eggs

$3.12 €2.72

$2.47 R 40.61

26.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.34 €11.64

$8.28 R 136

61.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.98

$4.73 R 77.7

68.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.92 €13.89

$6.86 R 113

132.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.99

$1.66 R 27.31

37.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.43

$1.52 R 24.98

7.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.55 R 25.42

27.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 €2.14

$1.64 R 26.96

49.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.54

$1.49 R 24.46

18.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.72

$1.46 R 23.96

34.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.72

$1.04 R 17.15

89.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.70

$0.89 R 14.65

-10.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.54 €5.70

$3.10 R 51.0

110.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.75 €5.01

$6.34 R 104

-9.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 €1.15

$1.34 R 22.10

-1.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 €2.60

$1.66 R 27.21

80.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.34 €2.04

$1.67 R 27.38

40.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.85 €40.01

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.26 €3.71

$1.15 R 18.86

270.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 €0.74

$0.88 R 14.43

-4.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.86 €16.45

$4.09 R 67.3

361.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.81

$1.29 R 21.15

60.47%

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

$35.2K €30.8K

$22.1K R 363.3K

59.45%

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

$38.6K €33.7K

$23.6K R 388.7K

63.29%

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

$151 €132

$96.3 R 1,582

56.99%

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

$20.91 €18.24

$41.13 R 676

-49.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.54 €34.50

$43.01 R 707

-8.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.39 €42.22

$31.62 R 520

53.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.61 €16.24

Cinema Ticket

$9.04 €7.89

$3.02 R 49.70

199.34%

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

$610 €532

$205 R 3,372

197.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.2K

$4,835 R 79.5K

236.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €88.3

$51.3 R 843

97.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.58 €35.41

$34.08 R 560

19.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.0 €81.2

$67.3 R 1,106

38.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$79.0 R 1,299

50.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,603 €1,398

$358 R 5,885

347.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,239 €1,081

$336 R 5,521

268.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,019 €2,634

$684 R 11.2K

341.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,061 €1,798

$685 R 11.3K

200.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,981 €6,963

$911 R 15.0K

775.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,533 €3,955

$785 R 12.9K

477.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,628 €1,421

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

11.51

-66.90%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 15, 2026

Last update for Sun City: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,603 in Lisbon and $358 in Sun City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $45.00 in Sun City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $181 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 119% in total monthly costs ($2,217 vs $1,011 including rent). Sun City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,325 in Lisbon and $1,516 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: $1,603 in Lisbon versus $358 in Sun City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 48% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,217 per month in Lisbon versus $1,011 in Sun City – a 119% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,011 in Sun City versus $2,217 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 119% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.