---
title: "Cape Town vs Lisbon for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/cape-town-vs-lisbon
description: "Under balanced weights Lisbon edges it, 72 to 53, winning 7 of the 9 factors. Cape Town is stronger on cost of living, climate; Lisbon on safety, healthcare, visa ease. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you."
dataset: 2026.09.4 (2026-09-26)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Cape Town vs Lisbon for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Lisbon edges it, 72 to 53, winning 7 of the 9 factors. Cape Town is stronger on cost of living, climate; Lisbon on safety, healthcare, visa ease. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

## Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)

| Metric | Cape Town | Lisbon | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 65 | 27 | Cape Town |
| Safety | 22 | 83 | Lisbon |
| Healthcare | 46 | 84 | Lisbon |
| Internet | 57 | 66 | Lisbon |
| Visa ease | 46 | 84 | Lisbon |
| Getting there & around | 16 | 52 | Lisbon |
| Climate | 83 | 67 | Cape Town |
| Air quality | 78 | 94 | Lisbon |
| Quality of life | 60 | 86 | Lisbon |

## Cost

| Metric | Cape Town | Lisbon | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $1,042 | $2,499 | Cape Town |
| Central one-bedroom rent | $727 | $1,638 | Cape Town |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Cape Town | Lisbon | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 33.8 | 0.8 | Lisbon |
| Political stability (0–100) | 55.4 | 75.1 | Lisbon |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 74 | 83 | Lisbon |
| Life expectancy | 61.5 yrs | 81.2 yrs | Lisbon |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Cape Town | Lisbon | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 26.7 Mbps | 40.4 Mbps | Lisbon |
| Upload | 11.4 Mbps | 18.4 Mbps | Lisbon |

## Visa

| Metric | Cape Town | Lisbon | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | none listed | Autorização de Residência para Atividade Profissional Prestada de Forma Remota (D8) | Lisbon |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | $4,218/mo | — |
| Visa-free days, US passport | 90 days | 90 days | tie |
| Visa-free days, EU passport | 90 days | unlimited | Lisbon |
| Visa-free days, UK passport | 90 days | 90 days | tie |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Cape Town | Lisbon | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 45 | 153 | Lisbon |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 4 | Lisbon |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 4 | Lisbon |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Cape Town | Lisbon | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 10 | 8 | Cape Town |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 14.9 µg/m³ | 7.6 µg/m³ | Lisbon |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Cape Town or Lisbon?

Cape Town is cheaper: about $1,042 per month versus $2,499 for one person.

### Is Cape Town or Lisbon safer?

Lisbon scores higher on safety (83 vs 22), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Cape Town or Lisbon?

Lisbon: a measured median of 40.4 Mbps versus 26.7 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Cape Town](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/cape-town) · [Lisbon](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/lisbon). Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Digital Nomad Visas 2026; Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Estimates of rates of homicides per 100 000 population; UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); WhereNext city cost estimates 2026 (city pages).

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/cape-town-vs-lisbon