Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Upington Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Upington

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $1,034 in Upington.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,602 in Upington.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $2,170 in Upington.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 121% more expensive than in Upington, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Upington is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.74

$11.00 R 183

43.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.3

$33.12 R 552

91.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.11

$4.99 R 83.2

109.42%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.54

$1.54 R 25.70

88.96%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$1.00 R 16.63

129.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.31

$0.68 R 11.28

120.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.11

$1.55 R 25.79

129.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.46

$2.50 R 41.59

58.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$0.82 R 13.66

31.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.13 R 18.90

55.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.48

$1.57 R 26.10

8.28%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.83

$2.45 R 40.82

32.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.55

$7.86 R 131

68.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.72

$4.51 R 75.2

70.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.75

$6.70 R 112

135.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.99

$1.59 R 26.52

43.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.44

$1.52 R 25.24

9.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.76

$1.47 R 24.52

37.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.16

$1.57 R 26.09

57.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.56

$1.38 R 22.93

29.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.80

$1.24 R 20.70

66.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.72

$1.06 R 17.65

85.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.73

$0.92 R 15.25

-9.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.71

$2.51 R 41.76

160.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.85

$3.83 R 63.8

45.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.16

$1.38 R 23.00

-3.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.62

$1.67 R 27.74

80.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.98

$1.62 R 27.01

40.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.41

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.69

$1.10 R 18.30

284.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.94 R 15.62

-9.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.41

$4.07 R 67.7

362.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.76

$1.28 R 21.35

57.81%

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

$35.0K €30.5K

$21.5K R 358.9K

62.26%

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

$39.6K €34.6K

$23.9K R 397.4K

66.18%

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

$148 €129

$120 R 2,000

23.20%

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

$20.52 €17.89

$34.82 R 580

-41.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.46

$41.21 R 686

-4.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €42.00

$30.52 R 508

57.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €16.03

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.93

$6.53 R 109

39.36%

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

$615 €536

$196 R 3,269

213.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.2K

$4,377 R 72.9K

272.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.6

$50.5 R 840

101.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.69

$31.78 R 529

32.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €80.5

$87.3 R 1,453

5.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$80.6 R 1,342

51.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,405

$363 R 6,047

344.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,093

$334 R 5,557

275.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,676

$564 R 9,394

444.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,776

$703 R 11.7K

189.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,757

$878 R 14.6K

782.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,737

$709 R 11.8K

504.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,396

$770 R 12.8K

107.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

11.38

-66.52%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Last update for Upington: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $363 in Upington. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 108% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $33.00 in Upington for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $172 per month, with Upington 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 Upington: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Upington differ by about 121% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $1,034 including rent). Upington is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 108% higher in Lisbon, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $363 in Upington. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 55% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,280 per month in Lisbon versus $1,034 in Upington – a 121% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,034 in Upington versus $2,280 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Upington but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Upington 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 Upington 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 Upington gentler on the wallet – expenses run 121% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.