Cost of Living Comparison Between Rustenburg and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Rustenburg and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $960 in Rustenburg versus $2,217 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,488 in Rustenburg versus $3,245 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,016 in Rustenburg versus $4,272 in Lisbon.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Rustenburg is 28% below, Lisbon is 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.27 R 182

$15.78 €13.59

-28.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.96 R 728

$62.5 €53.8

-28.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.81 R 61.6

$10.54 €9.07

-63.85%

Cappuccino

$1.90 R 30.70

$2.77 €2.38

-31.41%

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

$0.84 R 13.61

$2.28 €1.97

-63.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 R 7.85

$1.55 €1.33

-69.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.39 R 22.43

$3.55 €3.05

-60.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 R 33.71

$3.98 €3.43

-47.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 R 17.37

$1.08 €0.93

-0.93%

White Bread (500g)

$0.90 R 14.50

$1.77 €1.52

-49.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 R 27.45

$1.77 €1.52

-3.95%

Eggs

$1.91 R 30.87

$3.12 €2.69

-38.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.81 R 94.0

$13.34 €11.49

-56.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.17 R 67.6

$7.99 €6.88

-47.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.84 R 111

$15.92 €13.70

-57.04%

Apples (1kg)

$1.57 R 25.38

$2.28 €1.97

-31.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 R 22.31

$1.64 €1.42

-15.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 R 20.79

$1.98 €1.70

-35.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 R 25.11

$2.45 €2.11

-36.73%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 R 13.33

$1.77 €1.52

-53.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.82 R 13.21

$1.97 €1.69

-58.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 R 17.60

$1.97 €1.70

-44.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 R 15.48

$0.80 €0.69

20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.47 R 40.05

$6.54 €5.63

-62.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.70 R 76.1

$5.75 €4.95

-18.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 R 17.75

$1.32 €1.13

-16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 R 18.51

$2.99 €2.57

-61.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 R 18.30

$2.34 €2.01

-51.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.92 R 727

$45.85 €39.48

-2.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.98 R 15.83

$4.26 €3.66

-77.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.88 R 14.21

$0.84 €0.73

4.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.14 R 67.1

$18.86 €16.24

-78.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 R 20.83

$2.07 €1.78

-37.68%

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

$22.8K R 368.9K

$35.2K €30.3K

-35.33%

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

$23.8K R 385.5K

$38.6K €33.2K

-38.32%

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

$70.5 R 1,140

$151 €130

-53.38%

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

$12.79 R 207

$20.91 €18.00

-38.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.54 R 689

$39.54 €34.05

7.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.93 R 371

$48.39 €41.67

-52.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.65 R 91.4

$18.61 €16.02

-69.64%

Cinema Ticket

$4.42 R 71.6

$9.04 €7.79

-51.11%

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

$105 R 1,699

$610 €525

-82.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,861 R 78.7K

$16.3K €14.0K

-70.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.40 R 800

$101 €87.2

-51.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.01 R 534

$40.58 €34.94

-18.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.7 R 1,436

$93.0 €80.1

-4.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 R 1,288

$119 €102

-32.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$311 R 5,041

$1,603 €1,380

-80.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$336 R 5,446

$1,239 €1,067

-72.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$678 R 11.0K

$3,019 €2,599

-77.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$574 R 9,290

$2,061 €1,775

-72.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,981 €6,872

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,533 €3,903

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,364 R 22.1K

$1,628 €1,402

-16.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.9

3.81

159.84%

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

Last update for Rustenburg: June 16, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $311 in Rustenburg and $1,603 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 19% 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: $45.00 in Rustenburg vs $62.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $159 vs $268 per month, with Rustenburg 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

Rustenburg vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rustenburg and Lisbon differ by about 131% in total monthly costs ($960 vs $2,217 including rent). Rustenburg is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Lisbon earns 19% less. 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: $311 in Rustenburg versus $1,603 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $105 in Rustenburg versus $610 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 69% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $960 in Rustenburg versus $2,217 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Rustenburg but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Rustenburg 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, Rustenburg 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 Rustenburg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 131% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.