Cost of Living Comparison Between Polokwane and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Polokwane and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $992 in Polokwane versus $2,316 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,461 in Polokwane versus $3,361 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Polokwane versus $4,405 in Lisbon.

Living in Polokwane costs roughly 57% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Polokwane is 28% below, Lisbon is 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.44 R 199

$17.30 €14.87

-28.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.20 R 499

$63.3 €54.4

-50.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.38 R 118

$11.39 €9.79

-35.21%

Cappuccino

$2.47 R 39.50

$3.19 €2.74

-22.57%

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

$0.98 R 15.75

$2.45 €2.10

-60.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 R 15.50

$1.76 €1.52

-44.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.77 R 28.31

$3.59 €3.09

-50.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 R 34.10

$3.39 €2.92

-37.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 R 21.94

$1.24 €1.06

10.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 R 18.97

$1.98 €1.71

-39.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.80 R 28.86

$1.52 €1.31

18.42%

Eggs

$2.62 R 41.85

$4.04 €3.47

-35.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 R 123

$13.54 €11.64

-43.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.11 R 65.7

$8.39 €7.21

-51.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.09 R 97.5

$18.25 €15.69

-66.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.10 R 33.56

$2.29 €1.97

-8.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 R 31.17

$1.74 €1.50

12.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 R 29.10

$1.86 €1.60

-2.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 R 32.51

$2.63 €2.26

-22.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.75 R 28.00

$1.92 €1.65

-8.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.61 R 25.70

$2.09 €1.80

-22.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 R 18.39

$1.44 €1.24

-20.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 R 13.11

$0.84 €0.72

-2.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.72 R 43.55

$6.78 €5.83

-59.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.80 R 76.8

$5.71 €4.91

-15.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 R 19.78

$1.38 €1.18

-10.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 R 26.12

$2.22 €1.91

-26.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 R 14.24

$2.40 €2.06

-62.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.55 R 505

$46.78 €40.22

-32.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.90 R 14.44

$4.17 €3.59

-78.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R 14.32

$1.14 €0.98

-21.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.78 R 236

$17.68 €15.20

-16.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 R 22.73

$2.32 €2.00

-38.79%

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

$26.1K R 418.1K

$35.3K €30.4K

-26.02%

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

$29.3K R 468.5K

$41.4K €35.6K

-29.32%

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

$138 R 2,214

$170 €146

-18.72%

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

$39.69 R 635

$19.34 €16.62

105.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.33 R 549

$33.64 €28.92

2.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.26 R 372

$48.10 €41.35

-51.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.11

Cinema Ticket

$8.30 R 133

$9.92 €8.53

-16.33%

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

$185 R 2,957

$717 €617

-74.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,482 R 23.7K

$17.5K €15.0K

-91.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.04 R 752

$105 €90.1

-55.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.70 R 603

$46.95 €40.36

-19.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.3 R 1,316

$103 €88.9

-20.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 R 1,545

$124 €107

-22.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$297 R 4,745

$1,677 €1,441

-82.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$211 R 3,371

$1,271 €1,093

-83.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$438 R 7,001

$2,985 €2,566

-85.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$289 R 4,617

$1,992 €1,713

-85.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,728

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,004

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,546 R 24.7K

$1,583 €1,361

-2.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.91

3.79

187.86%

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

Last update for Polokwane: September 1, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $297 in Polokwane and $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 2% 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: $31.00 in Polokwane vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $187 vs $283 per month, with Polokwane 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

Polokwane vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Polokwane and Lisbon differ by about 134% in total monthly costs ($992 vs $2,316 including rent). Polokwane is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 2% 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: $297 in Polokwane versus $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $185 in Polokwane versus $717 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 51% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $992 in Polokwane versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Polokwane but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Polokwane 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, Polokwane 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 Polokwane gentler on the wallet – expenses run 134% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.