Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Middelburg, South Africa and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Middelburg: $1,099 a month against $2,206 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

52

Cost of Living Index in Middelburg
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Middelburg Living Index
106

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Middelburg

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,099

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,206

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Middelburg 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 Middelburg and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,099 in Middelburg versus $2,206 in Lisbon.

Middelburg $1,099
Lisbon $2,206

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,695 in Middelburg versus $3,276 in Lisbon.

Middelburg $1,695
Lisbon $3,276

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,291 in Middelburg versus $4,346 in Lisbon.

Middelburg $2,291
Lisbon $4,346

Living in Middelburg costs roughly 50% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Middelburg is 19% below, Lisbon is 63% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.53 R 157

$16.86 €14.98

-43.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.98 R 592

$61.0 €54.2

-41.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.87 R 96.5

$10.98 €9.75

-46.54%

Cappuccino

$1.29 R 21.26

$3.05 €2.71

-57.70%

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

$0.83 R 13.58

$2.28 €2.03

-63.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 R 10.54

$1.68 €1.49

-61.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.17 R 19.28

$3.44 €3.05

-65.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 R 25.01

$3.91 €3.47

-61.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 R 19.20

$1.15 €1.02

1.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 R 17.14

$1.89 €1.68

-44.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.46 R 24.09

$1.50 €1.33

-2.67%

Eggs

$1.70 R 28.00

$4.12 €3.66

-58.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.76 R 94.8

$13.01 €11.55

-55.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.96 R 81.6

$8.04 €7.15

-38.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.60 R 109

$17.89 €15.89

-63.11%

Apples (1kg)

$1.66 R 27.35

$2.27 €2.02

-26.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 R 17.79

$1.74 €1.55

-37.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.12 R 18.42

$1.82 €1.62

-38.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.24 R 20.35

$2.69 €2.39

-53.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 R 28.38

$1.77 €1.57

-2.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 R 20.27

$1.94 €1.72

-36.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 R 20.37

$1.46 €1.30

-15.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 R 17.10

$0.76 €0.68

36.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.39 R 39.37

$6.66 €5.91

-64.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.80 R 78.9

$5.64 €5.01

-14.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 R 28.99

$1.29 €1.15

36.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 R 33.85

$2.14 €1.90

-3.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 R 23.40

$2.30 €2.04

-38.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.88 R 705

$44.02 €39.10

-2.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.94 R 15.45

$3.98 €3.54

-76.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 R 12.24

$0.64 €0.57

15.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.57 R 190

$18.93 €16.81

-38.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 R 21.95

$2.28 €2.02

-41.67%

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

$34.3K R 563.7K

$33.4K €29.6K

2.67%

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

$31.9K R 525.0K

$38.5K €34.2K

-17.12%

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

$151 R 2,487

$158 €141

-4.44%

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

$35.28 R 580

$17.54 €15.58

101.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.41 R 615

$31.18 €27.70

19.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.36 R 532

$44.64 €39.66

-27.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.35 R 203

$18.98 €16.86

-34.93%

Cinema Ticket

$6.25 R 103

$9.58 €8.51

-34.76%

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

$236 R 3,879

$674 €598

-65.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,077 R 100.0K

$18.7K €16.6K

-67.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.1 R 874

$102 €90.8

-48.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.79 R 523

$45.90 €40.77

-30.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 R 1,626

$102 €90.8

-3.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 R 1,427

$122 €108

-28.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$398 R 6,546

$1,641 €1,457

-75.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$361 R 5,944

$1,187 €1,055

-69.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 R 11.8K

$2,825 €2,509

-74.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$728 R 12.0K

$2,018 €1,793

-63.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$757 R 12.5K

$7,836 €6,960

-90.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$670 R 11.0K

$4,701 €4,176

-85.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,193 R 19.6K

$1,687 €1,499

-29.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.92

3.82

185.86%

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

Last update for Middelburg: October 31, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Middelburg

$361 32.9%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8% 229% $826

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Middelburg

$224 20.4%

Lisbon

$207 9.4% 7.6% $17

Groceries & Markets

Middelburg

$170 15.4%

Lisbon

$275 12.5% 61.8% $105

Eating Out

Middelburg

$124 11.3%

Lisbon

$245 11.1% 97.6% $121

Clothing & Footwear

Middelburg

$122 11.1%

Lisbon

$168 7.6% 37.6% $46

Getting Around

Middelburg

$53 4.8%

Lisbon

$60 2.7% 13.5% $7.2

Sport & Entertainment

Middelburg

$45 4.1%

Lisbon

$64 2.9% 42.3% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $398 in Middelburg and $1,641 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 41% 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: $36 in Middelburg vs $61 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $170 vs $275 per month, with Middelburg cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Middelburg

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

21:49 9:49 PM

19:49 7:49 PM

2 h behind Middelburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

87,348

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.08 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

1 EUR = 1.13 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 16.45 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.08 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 0.888 EUR (1 EUR = 1.13 USD).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Middelburg Lisbon 8,220 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Middelburg
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

Middelburg vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,099 in Middelburg and $2,206 in Lisbon, so Middelburg is about 50% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 29% lower in Middelburg. 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: $398 in Middelburg versus $1,641 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $236 in Middelburg versus $674 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 62% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Middelburg is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

Expats usually find Middelburg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.