Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Portugal Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Portugal

Name: Portugal
Address: PT

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,509 per month in Australia vs $1,684 in Portugal, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,641 per month in Australia vs $2,485 in Portugal, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,772 per month in Australia vs $3,285 in Portugal, rent included.

The cost of living in Australia is about 49% higher than in Portugal on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Australia and Portugal are pricier than the global median – Australia by 83%, Portugal by 23%.

The regional cost range is wider in Australia ($1,174–$3,292) than in Portugal ($1,066–$2,296), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.16 A$25.61

$13.67 €11.92

32.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.9 A$121

$52.2 €45.53

64.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.87 A$15.33

$10.29 €8.97

5.64%

Cappuccino

$4.11 A$5.80

$2.13 €1.86

92.96%

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

$3.04 A$4.29

$2.06 €1.80

47.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 A$3.48

$1.43 €1.25

72.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 A$11.09

$2.94 €2.56

167.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.98 A$11.25

$3.44 €3.00

131.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 A$2.44

$1.08 €0.94

60.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 A$3.92

$1.69 €1.47

64.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.38 A$3.36

$1.60 €1.40

48.75%

Eggs

$5.08 A$7.17

$3.49 €3.05

45.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.98 A$14.07

$11.92 €10.39

-16.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.24 A$13.03

$7.69 €6.70

20.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.49 A$21.85

$15.38 €13.41

0.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.73 A$5.26

$2.30 €2.01

62.17%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.26

$1.52 €1.32

98.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.23 A$4.56

$1.84 €1.61

75.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.88 A$6.89

$2.56 €2.23

90.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.87 A$4.05

$1.72 €1.50

66.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 A$3.33

$2.04 €1.78

15.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 A$3.51

$1.49 €1.30

67.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 A$2.36

$0.82 €0.72

104.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.51 A$54.3

$6.59 €5.75

484.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 A$20.10

$5.77 €5.03

146.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.07 A$7.15

$1.35 €1.17

275.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.19 A$7.32

$2.29 €1.99

126.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.78 A$3.92

$2.28 €1.99

21.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.8 A$134

$45.85 €39.97

106.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 A$4.97

$3.95 €3.45

-10.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 A$2.25

$1.08 €0.94

48.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.42 A$57.0

$17.14 €14.94

135.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 A$1.80

$2.07 €1.81

-38.65%

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

$28.3K A$40.0K

$34.4K €30.0K

-17.58%

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

$28.6K A$40.4K

$40.0K €34.9K

-28.39%

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

$202 A$285

$140 €122

44.49%

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

$29.08 A$41.02

$20.69 €18.03

40.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.6 A$84.0

$41.48 €36.16

43.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.3 A$83.6

$44.02 €38.37

34.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.13 A$28.38

$16.04 €13.98

25.50%

Cinema Ticket

$15.75 A$22.21

$9.48 €8.27

66.14%

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

$2,197 A$3,099

$514 €448

327.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.2K A$25.7K

$11.9K €10.4K

53.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.3 A$112

$91.3 €79.6

-13.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.2 A$80.7

$40.73 €35.51

40.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 A$161

$89.9 €78.4

26.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 A$176

$103 €89.8

20.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,581 A$2,229

$1,048 €913

50.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,291 A$1,820

$849 €740

52.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 A$3,568

$1,830 €1,595

38.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,982 A$2,795

$1,352 €1,178

46.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,571 A$12.1K

$4,072 €3,549

110.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,120 A$8,631

$2,928 €2,553

108.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,979 A$5,612

$1,346 €1,173

195.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.93

3.75

58.13%

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

Last update for Australia: September 12, 2026

Last update for Portugal: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,387 in Australia vs $989 in Portugal. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,829 in Canberra and $1,662 in Lisbon.

Average salary: $3,903 in Australia vs $1,321 in Portugal. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 40% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 71% more in Australia.

Public transport is 103% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 195% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

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

Australia vs Portugal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Portugal is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 33% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Australia, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Australia consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Portugal, contributing to the overall 33% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$3,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Portugal, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Portugal is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.