Cost of Living Comparison Between Sandton and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Sandton and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,254 in Sandton versus $2,268 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,963 in Sandton versus $3,348 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,672 in Sandton versus $4,429 in Lisbon.

Living in Sandton costs roughly 45% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sandton is 9% below, Lisbon is 64% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.38 R 183

$17.55 €15.12

-35.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.42 R 780

$64.5 €55.6

-24.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.80 R 93.4

$11.65 €10.04

-50.21%

Cappuccino

$2.59 R 41.71

$3.26 €2.81

-20.55%

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

$1.08 R 17.46

$2.49 €2.15

-56.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 R 14.09

$1.67 €1.44

-47.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 R 35.63

$3.47 €2.99

-36.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 R 49.52

$3.58 €3.08

-14.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 R 19.31

$1.18 €1.02

1.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 R 18.24

$1.95 €1.68

-42.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 R 30.69

$1.56 €1.35

22.44%

Eggs

$2.80 R 45.11

$4.01 €3.46

-30.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.32 R 150

$13.27 €11.44

-29.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.02 R 80.8

$8.42 €7.26

-40.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.59 R 122

$18.23 €15.72

-58.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.20 R 35.36

$2.32 €2.00

-5.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 R 29.59

$1.73 €1.49

6.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 R 29.59

$1.93 €1.67

-4.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 R 31.39

$2.64 €2.27

-26.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 R 25.29

$1.90 €1.64

-17.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.84 R 29.63

$2.11 €1.82

-12.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 R 19.78

$1.44 €1.24

-14.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 R 22.04

$0.80 €0.69

71.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.30 R 53.2

$7.01 €6.04

-52.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.27 R 101

$5.92 €5.11

5.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 R 26.48

$1.36 €1.18

20.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 R 33.24

$2.15 €1.85

-4.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.30 R 4.77

$4.19 €3.61

-92.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.95 R 15.36

$1.10 €0.95

-13.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.11 R 243

$17.26 €14.88

-12.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 R 25.26

$2.25 €1.94

-30.22%

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

$36.8K R 593.3K

$34.5K €29.7K

6.89%

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

$34.4K R 553.8K

$41.6K €35.9K

-17.37%

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

$170 R 2,742

$171 €147

-0.36%

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

$38.91 R 627

$19.01 €16.38

104.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.17 R 615

$34.28 €29.55

11.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.80 R 609

$49.65 €42.80

-23.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

Cinema Ticket

$7.53 R 121

$10.10 €8.71

-25.45%

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

$270 R 4,344

$699 €603

-61.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,455 R 120.0K

$17.8K €15.3K

-58.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 R 936

$105 €90.2

-44.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.59 R 766

$47.97 €41.35

-0.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 R 1,634

$102 €87.8

-0.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 R 1,530

$128 €111

-25.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$571 R 9,191

$1,661 €1,432

-65.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 R 7,492

$1,228 €1,059

-62.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,035 R 16.7K

$2,915 €2,513

-64.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$861 R 13.9K

$2,023 €1,744

-57.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$881 R 14.2K

$8,129 €7,007

-89.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$773 R 12.4K

$4,635 €3,996

-83.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,866 R 30.1K

$1,619 €1,396

15.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

191.01%

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

Last update for Sandton: September 7, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $571 in Sandton and $1,661 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sandton pays 15% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Sandton vs $64.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $212 vs $281 per month, with Sandton 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

Sandton vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sandton and Lisbon differ by about 81% in total monthly costs ($1,254 vs $2,268 including rent). Sandton is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 15% higher in Sandton, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $571 in Sandton versus $1,661 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,254 per month in Sandton versus $2,268 in Lisbon – a 81% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,254 in Sandton versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sandton but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Sandton 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, Sandton 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 Sandton gentler on the wallet – expenses run 81% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.