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: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $1,000 in Upington.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,593 in Upington.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $2,187 in Upington.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 126% more expensive than Upington, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Upington is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.73

$11.25 R 182

41.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.6

$34.00 R 550

86.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.95

$4.78 R 77.2

117.15%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.40

$1.64 R 26.45

70.12%

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

$2.34 €2.01

$1.00 R 16.10

134.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.70 R 11.35

124.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.95

$1.56 R 25.18

119.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.37

$2.53 R 40.96

54.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$0.85 R 13.81

27.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.10 R 17.83

60.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.57 R 25.46

8.92%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.71

$2.46 R 39.79

28.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.79

$7.76 R 125

76.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.90

$4.58 R 74.1

74.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.37

$6.81 R 110

127.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$1.62 R 26.14

41.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$1.46 R 23.55

12.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$1.55 R 25.05

25.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.17

$1.64 R 26.47

53.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$1.32 R 21.37

35.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.19 R 19.20

68.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.05 R 16.99

87.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.95 R 15.41

-11.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$2.56 R 41.38

165.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.89

$3.69 R 59.7

53.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.37 R 22.16

1.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.60

$1.65 R 26.65

83.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.95

$1.63 R 26.37

39.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.15

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.70

$1.11 R 17.87

286.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.90 R 14.58

-5.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.75

$4.14 R 66.9

341.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.25 R 20.18

59.20%

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

$35.0K €30.2K

$21.4K R 345.4K

64.01%

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

$39.5K €34.1K

$23.5K R 379.5K

68.49%

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

$146 €126

$119 R 1,929

22.49%

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

$20.45 €17.62

$35.51 R 574

-42.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.58

$42.30 R 684

-7.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.21

$30.45 R 492

60.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.22

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.21

$6.85 R 111

38.98%

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

$608 €524

$196 R 3,161

211.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.2K

$4,300 R 69.5K

283.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.5

$49.68 R 803

109.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.29

$31.64 R 512

33.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.5

$88.2 R 1,425

4.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$78.7 R 1,273

52.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,397

$364 R 5,883

345.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,092

$332 R 5,374

281.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,626

$570 R 9,218

434.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,731

$700 R 11.3K

187.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,602

$929 R 15.0K

725.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,730

$696 R 11.3K

522.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,366

$802 R 13.0K

97.50%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Upington: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $364 in Upington. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 98% 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 $34.00 in Upington for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $173 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 126% in total monthly costs ($2,263 vs $1,000 including rent). Upington is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 98% more on average, 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: $1,621 in Lisbon versus $364 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 $2,263 per month in Lisbon versus $1,000 in Upington – a 126% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,000 in Upington versus $2,263 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 126% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.