Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Uitenhage

For one person, living is cheaper in Uitenhage: $1,167 a month against $2,202 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $12,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,202
/mo nomad
Uitenhage
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,167
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Uitenhage

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 Uitenhage actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,202 in Lisbon versus $1,167 in Uitenhage.

  • Lisbon $2,202
  • Uitenhage $1,167

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,274 in Lisbon versus $1,832 in Uitenhage.

  • Lisbon $3,274
  • Uitenhage $1,832

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $2,497 in Uitenhage.

  • Lisbon $4,346
  • Uitenhage $2,497

Living in Lisbon is roughly 89% more expensive than in Uitenhage, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 62% above, Uitenhage is 14% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Uitenhage
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.04 €15.15
$10.99 R 181
55.05%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$62.3 €55.4
$43.28 R 713
43.92%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.02 €9.80
$5.88 R 96.9
87.41%
Cappuccino
$3.12 €2.78
$2.17 R 35.83
43.78%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.27 €2.02
$1.06 R 17.38
114.15%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.55
$0.73 R 12.00
138.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.42 €3.04
$2.68 R 44.15
27.61%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.74 €3.33
$3.25 R 53.5
15.08%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Uitenhage
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.17 €1.04
$1.17 R 19.29
-
White Bread (500g)
$1.86 €1.66
$0.81 R 13.36
129.63%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.54 €1.37
$1.52 R 25.02
1.32%
Eggs
$4.06 €3.61
$2.84 R 46.76
42.96%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.91 €11.49
$8.91 R 147
44.89%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.90 €7.03
$5.35 R 88.2
47.66%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.64 €15.69
$8.73 R 144
102.06%
Apples (1kg)
$2.26 €2.01
$2.20 R 36.29
2.73%
Banana (1kg)
$1.75 €1.55
$1.51 R 24.85
15.89%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.89 €1.68
$1.69 R 27.80
11.83%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.56 €2.27
$1.82 R 29.92
40.66%
Potato (1kg)
$1.85 €1.64
$1.77 R 29.08
4.52%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.75
$1.45 R 23.94
35.86%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.45 €1.29
$1.30 R 21.50
11.54%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 €0.69
$1.02 R 16.84
-24.51%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.71 €5.97
$3.12 R 51.4
115.06%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.67 €5.04
$3.68 R 60.6
54.08%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.37 €1.22
$1.28 R 21.16
7.03%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.11 €1.88
$1.82 R 29.97
15.93%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Uitenhage
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.32 €2.07
$1.51 R 24.95
53.64%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.43 €39.52
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.95 €3.51
$0.60 R 9.82
558.33%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.05 €0.93
$0.51 R 8.41
105.88%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$17.15 €15.26
$8.68 R 143
97.58%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.19 €1.95
$1.49 R 24.50
46.98%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.8K €30.0K
$35.6K R 587.1K
-5.20%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.3K €34.0K
$35.0K R 577.1K
9.25%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Uitenhage
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$164 €146
$125 R 2,066
30.64%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.48 €16.43
$35.55 R 586
-48.02%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.96 €29.32
$45.37 R 747
-27.35%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Uitenhage
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.87 €40.80
$30.09 R 496
52.44%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.68 €16.61
$12.05 R 199
55.02%
Cinema Ticket
$9.75 €8.67
$10.55 R 174
-7.58%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Uitenhage
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$684 €608
$179 R 2,955
281.36%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.7K
$6,248 R 102.9K
182.11%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Uitenhage
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$104 €92.3
$72.6 R 1,196
42.87%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.20 €41.09
$38.39 R 632
20.34%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$99.7 €88.7
$114 R 1,873
-12.26%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$125 €111
$96.2 R 1,584
29.67%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Uitenhage
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,589 €1,414
$443 R 7,304
258.49%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,169 €1,040
$401 R 6,606
191.55%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,851 €2,536
$646 R 10.6K
341.60%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,993 €1,773
$798 R 13.1K
149.92%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,793 €6,932
$897 R 14.8K
768.52%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,418 €3,930
$740 R 12.2K
497.05%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Uitenhage
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,600 €1,423
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
11.94
-67.76%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Last update for Uitenhage: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Uitenhage
$401 65.7% $768
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$273
Uitenhage
$196 28.2% $77
Eating Out
Lisbon
$247
Uitenhage
$159 35.9% $89
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$215
Uitenhage
$206 4.1% $8.9
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$168
Uitenhage
$144 14.3% $24
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$65
Uitenhage
$51 21.7% $14
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Uitenhage
$9.2 * 85.4% $54

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 $1,589 in Lisbon and $443 in Uitenhage. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $43.00 in Uitenhage for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $196 per month, with Uitenhage cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇿🇦 Uitenhage
🕒 Local time
14:19 2:19 PM
15:19 3:19 PM
1 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
103,639
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Uitenhage 8,810 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Uitenhage

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 Uitenhage: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Uitenhage?
Lisbon and Uitenhage differ by about 89% in total monthly costs ($2,202 vs $1,167 including rent). Uitenhage is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Lisbon compared to Uitenhage?
You'd need roughly $3,302 in Lisbon and $1,750 in Uitenhage 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 Uitenhage?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,589 in Lisbon versus $443 in Uitenhage. 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 39% 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 Uitenhage?
All in, you'll spend $2,202 per month in Lisbon versus $1,167 in Uitenhage – a 89% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $1,000 per month?
At $1,167 in Uitenhage versus $2,202 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Uitenhage but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Uitenhage the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Uitenhage?
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 Uitenhage safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Uitenhage are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Lisbon or Uitenhage?
Expats usually find Uitenhage gentler on the wallet – expenses run 89% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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