Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mwanza and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Mwanza: $185 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $24,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Mwanza

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$185

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $185 in Mwanza versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Mwanza $185
Lisbon $2,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $291 in Mwanza versus $3,275 in Lisbon.

Mwanza $291
Lisbon $3,275

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $396 in Mwanza versus $4,341 in Lisbon.

Mwanza $396
Lisbon $4,341

Living in Mwanza costs roughly 92% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mwanza is 86% below, Lisbon is 62% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.41 TZS 6,302

$16.65 €14.95

-85.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.09 TZS 39.4K

$61.7 €55.5

-75.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.45 TZS 11.6K

$11.36 €10.20

-60.83%

Cappuccino

$2.57 TZS 6,712

$2.97 €2.67

-13.47%

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

$2.29 €2.06

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 TZS 695

$1.74 €1.56

-84.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.96 TZS 2,517

$3.40 €3.06

-71.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 TZS 3,346

$3.31 €2.97

-61.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 TZS 2,375

$1.16 €1.04

-21.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 TZS 4,059

$1.91 €1.72

-18.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 TZS 2,566

$1.51 €1.36

-35.10%

Eggs

$2.05 TZS 5,354

$4.02 €3.61

-49.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.62

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.98

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.95

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.07

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.56

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.67

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.33

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 TZS 2,518

$1.82 €1.64

-47.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 TZS 3,477

$1.97 €1.77

-32.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.40 TZS 1,034

$0.72 €0.65

-44.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.91

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.04

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.92

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.10

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.14

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.46

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.79

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 TZS 3,992

$2.20 €1.98

-30.45%

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

$34.2K €30.7K

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

$38.7K €34.8K

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

$65.9 TZS 172.0K

$161 €145

-59.14%

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

$18.41 €16.54

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.41

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €40.02

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.16

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.62

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

$668 €600

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.6

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.94

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.5

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,445

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,069

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,526

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,808

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,042

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,110

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$190 TZS 495.4K

$1,575 €1,415

-87.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

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

Last update for Mwanza: October 25, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mwanza

–

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Groceries & Markets

Mwanza

–

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Eating Out

Mwanza

–

Lisbon

$243 11%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mwanza

–

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Clothing & Footwear

Mwanza

–

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Sport & Entertainment

Mwanza

–

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Getting Around

Mwanza

–

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Cost Breakdown

Lisbon pays about 8.3 times 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: $15 in Mwanza vs $62 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $47 vs $272 per month, with Mwanza cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇿 Mwanza

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

21:47 9:47 PM

18:47 6:47 PM

3 h behind Mwanza

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,104,521

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Tanzanian Shilling TZS Sh

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 TZS = 3.83 USD

10,000 TZS = 3.44 EUR

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to TZS – Tanzanian Shilling Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇿 Tanzanian Shilling (Sh)

Tanzanian Shilling exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 2,611 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.83 USD). 1 EUR = 2,907 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.44 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

USD to TZS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mwanza Lisbon 6,290 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Mwanza
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

Mwanza vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mwanza and Lisbon differ by about 1095% in total monthly costs ($185 vs $2,210 including rent). Mwanza is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 88% lower in Mwanza. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Dining out is cheaper in Mwanza – a meal for two runs $15 versus $62 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $185 per month in Mwanza versus $2,210 in Lisbon – a 1095% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $185 in Mwanza versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Mwanza but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Mwanza 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.

It comes down to priorities – Mwanza wins on affordability, Lisbon on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.