Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manzini and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Manzini: $360 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $22,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Manzini

🇸🇿 Eswatini

$360

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manzini and in Lisbon

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Manzini and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $360 in Manzini versus $2,223 in Lisbon.

Manzini $360
Lisbon $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $386 in Manzini versus $3,271 in Lisbon.

Manzini $386
Lisbon $3,271

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $412 in Manzini versus $4,319 in Lisbon.

Manzini $412
Lisbon $4,319

Living in Manzini costs roughly 84% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Manzini is 73% below, Lisbon is 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.50 €14.67

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 €54.5

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.27 €10.03

Cappuccino

$3.06 €2.72

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

$2.26 €2.01

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.54

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 €3.02

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 €3.02

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 SZL 20.61

$1.12 €1.00

11.61%

White Bread (500g)

$0.92 SZL 15.14

$1.86 €1.65

-50.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 SZL 30.67

$1.53 €1.36

21.57%

Eggs

$1.14 SZL 18.80

$3.96 €3.53

-71.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.44 SZL 122

$12.76 €11.35

-41.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.93 SZL 48.26

$7.90 €7.02

-62.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$1.85 SZL 30.52

$16.97 €15.09

-89.10%

Apples (1kg)

$1.38 SZL 22.72

$2.27 €2.02

-39.21%

Banana (1kg)

$0.63 SZL 10.35

$1.75 €1.55

-64.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.76 SZL 12.55

$1.85 €1.64

-58.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.46 SZL 7.65

$2.57 €2.28

-82.10%

Potato (1kg)

$0.62 SZL 10.13

$1.86 €1.65

-66.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.50 SZL 8.27

$2.02 €1.80

-75.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.41 SZL 6.75

$1.44 €1.28

-71.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 SZL 11.45

$0.82 €0.73

-14.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.97 SZL 48.84

$6.56 €5.83

-54.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.34 SZL 55.1

$5.62 €5.00

-40.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 SZL 9.68

$1.28 €1.14

-53.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 SZL 13.41

$2.07 €1.84

-60.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 SZL 9.71

$2.35 €2.09

-74.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.18 €39.30

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 €3.55

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 €0.97

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.64 €14.81

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 SZL 22.19

$2.28 €2.03

-40.79%

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

$16.6K SZL 273.3K

$33.7K €30.0K

-50.68%

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

$15.5K SZL 255.3K

$39.3K €35.0K

-60.52%

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

$72.5 SZL 1,193

$167 €149

-56.72%

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

$11.91 SZL 196

$18.80 €16.72

-36.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.58 SZL 503

$33.09 €29.43

-7.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.01 €40.93

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.19 €17.07

Cinema Ticket

$3.74 SZL 61.5

$9.84 €8.75

-61.99%

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

$677 €602

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K €15.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €90.1

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 €40.70

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100.0 €88.9

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €109

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$180 SZL 2,968

$1,614 €1,436

-88.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$119 SZL 1,959

$1,197 €1,065

-90.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,862 €2,545

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,990 €1,770

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,577 €6,740

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,307 €3,831

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$482 SZL 7,928

$1,588 €1,412

-69.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

159.74%

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

Last update for Manzini: October 12, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Manzini

–

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9%

Groceries & Markets

Manzini

–

Lisbon

$269 12.1%

Eating Out

Manzini

–

Lisbon

$242 10.9%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manzini

–

Lisbon

$219 9.9%

Clothing & Footwear

Manzini

–

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Sport & Entertainment

Manzini

–

Lisbon

$66 3%

Getting Around

Manzini

–

Lisbon

$63 2.8%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $180 in Manzini and $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 230% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Good to know

🇸🇿 Manzini

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

09:48 9:48 AM

08:48 8:48 AM

1 h behind Manzini

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

110,508

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Eswatini Lilangeni SZL L

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 SZL = 6.08 USD

100 SZL = 5.4 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to SZL – Eswatini Lilangeni Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇿 Eswatini Lilangeni (L)

Eswatini Lilangeni exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 16.46 SZL (100 SZL = 6.08 USD). 1 EUR = 18.5 SZL (100 SZL = 5.4 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to SZL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Manzini Lisbon 8,380 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Manzini
Lisbon

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

Manzini vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manzini and Lisbon differ by about 517% in total monthly costs ($360 vs $2,223 including rent). Manzini is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 230% lower in Lisbon. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $180 in Manzini versus $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 131% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $360 per month in Manzini versus $2,223 in Lisbon – a 517% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $360 in Manzini versus $2,223 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Manzini but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Manzini 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, Manzini and Lisbon 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 Manzini gentler on the wallet – expenses run 517% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.