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 $2,184 per month in Australia vs $1,640 in Portugal, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,219 per month in Australia vs $2,413 in Portugal, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,253 per month in Australia vs $3,186 in Portugal, rent included.

Australia costs about 33% more than Portugal on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Australia and Portugal are pricier than the global median – Australia by 63%, Portugal by 22%.

Both countries show comparable internal variation: Australia spans $1,592–$2,842, Portugal spans $1,046–$2,370. City choice affects budget similarly in either country.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.44 A$23.23

$11.60 €9.99

41.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.1 A$110

$52.5 €45.23

48.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.94 A$14.05

$9.45 €8.14

5.19%

Cappuccino

$3.60 A$5.08

$2.22 €1.91

62.16%

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

$2.68 A$3.78

$2.02 €1.74

32.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 A$3.02

$1.35 €1.17

58.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.53 A$9.23

$2.82 €2.43

131.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.05 A$9.96

$3.56 €3.07

98.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 A$2.23

$1.07 €0.92

47.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 A$3.57

$1.59 €1.37

59.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 A$2.93

$1.59 €1.37

30.19%

Eggs

$4.30 A$6.08

$3.09 €2.66

39.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.03 A$12.76

$11.71 €10.09

-22.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.55 A$12.08

$7.93 €6.83

7.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 A$19.72

$14.27 €12.29

-2.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 A$4.49

$2.28 €1.97

39.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.84 A$4.01

$1.50 €1.29

89.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 A$4.17

$1.80 €1.55

63.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.43 A$6.26

$2.57 €2.21

72.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.46 A$3.47

$1.68 €1.45

46.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 A$3.07

$2.03 €1.75

6.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 A$3.24

$1.56 €1.35

46.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 A$2.22

$0.81 €0.70

93.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.87 A$43.61

$6.23 €5.37

395.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.06 A$19.86

$5.59 €4.82

151.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.55 A$6.43

$1.30 €1.12

250.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.81 A$6.80

$2.43 €2.09

97.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.87 A$4.05

$2.36 €2.03

21.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.8 A$135

$45.82 €39.48

109.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.65 A$5.15

$4.03 €3.47

-9.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 A$2.49

$1.01 €0.87

74.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.27 A$54.1

$17.15 €14.78

123.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 A$1.63

$2.01 €1.73

-42.79%

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

$28.4K A$40.1K

$34.7K €29.9K

-18.21%

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

$23.0K A$32.5K

$39.1K €33.7K

-41.20%

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

$178 A$251

$131 €113

35.87%

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

$26.46 A$37.38

$21.91 €18.88

20.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.1 A$76.4

$42.34 €36.48

27.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.64 A$65.9

$44.71 €38.53

4.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.54 A$23.37

$16.66 €14.36

-0.72%

Cinema Ticket

$13.65 A$19.28

$8.71 €7.51

56.72%

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

$1,575 A$2,225

$493 €425

219.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K A$17.9K

$12.4K €10.7K

2.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.5 A$101

$89.5 €77.2

-20.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 A$71.8

$38.64 €33.29

31.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 A$142

$89.0 €76.7

12.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 A$153

$105 €90.7

2.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,384 A$1,955

$1,059 €913

30.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,105 A$1,562

$846 €729

30.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,298 A$3,246

$1,798 €1,549

27.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,728 A$2,441

$1,333 €1,149

29.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,610 A$10.8K

$4,086 €3,521

86.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,504 A$7,776

$2,867 €2,470

91.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,002 A$5,654

$1,327 €1,143

201.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.35

4.83

31.47%

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

Last update for Australia: June 7, 2026

Last update for Portugal: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,232 in Australia vs $937 in Portugal. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,568 in Canberra and $1,621 in Lisbon.

Average salary: $3,845 in Australia vs $1,311 in Portugal. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 31% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 60% more in Australia.

Public transport is 63% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 193% higher in Australia, giving Australia stronger purchasing power.

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 30% 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 30% 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.