Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Portugal

For one person, living is cheaper in Portugal: $1,743 a month against $2,589 in Australia, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Australia
Portugal
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,589
/mo nomad
🇵🇹 Portugal
$1,743
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Australia and in Portugal

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Australia and in Portugal actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,589 per month in Australia vs $1,743 in Portugal, rent included.

  • Australia $2,589
  • Portugal $1,743

A couple spends around $3,789 per month in Australia vs $2,549 in Portugal, rent included.

  • Australia $3,789
  • Portugal $2,549

A family of three spends $4,990 per month in Australia vs $3,354 in Portugal, rent included.

  • Australia $4,990
  • Portugal $3,354

The regional cost range is wider in Australia ($1,068–$3,299) than in Portugal ($1,025–$2,361), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Australia is about 49% higher than in Portugal on average.

Both Australia and Portugal are pricier than the global median – Australia by 91%, Portugal by 29%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Australia
Portugal
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.24 A$24.60
$13.27 €11.81
29.92%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$85.1 A$121
$50.0 €44.52
70.06%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.18 A$15.96
$10.25 €9.13
9.07%
Cappuccino
$4.01 A$5.72
$2.16 €1.92
85.65%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.90 A$4.14
$2.01 €1.79
44.28%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.30 A$3.28
$1.34 €1.20
71.64%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.74 A$11.05
$2.76 €2.46
180.43%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.16 A$11.65
$3.43 €3.05
137.90%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Australia
Portugal
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.73 A$2.47
$1.05 €0.93
64.76%
White Bread (500g)
$2.69 A$3.84
$1.64 €1.46
64.02%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.24 A$3.19
$1.54 €1.37
45.45%
Eggs
$4.95 A$7.06
$3.51 €3.12
41.03%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.42 A$13.45
$11.52 €10.25
-18.23%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.40 A$13.41
$7.55 €6.72
24.50%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.30 A$21.83
$14.64 €13.03
4.51%
Apples (1kg)
$3.65 A$5.22
$2.22 €1.98
64.41%
Banana (1kg)
$3.08 A$4.40
$1.45 €1.29
112.41%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.27 A$4.67
$1.77 €1.58
84.75%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.59 A$6.55
$2.45 €2.18
87.35%
Potato (1kg)
$2.83 A$4.04
$1.64 €1.46
72.56%
Onion (1kg)
$2.26 A$3.23
$1.94 €1.73
16.49%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.37 A$3.39
$1.48 €1.32
60.14%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 A$2.37
$0.81 €0.72
104.94%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$38.43 A$54.9
$6.21 €5.52
518.84%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.21 A$20.28
$5.65 €5.03
151.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.95 A$7.07
$1.26 €1.12
292.86%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.13 A$7.33
$2.20 €1.96
133.18%
🚌 Getting Around
Australia
Portugal
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.46 A$3.52
$2.19 €1.95
12.33%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$93.0 A$133
$45.09 €40.13
106.23%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.66 A$5.23
$3.98 €3.54
-8.04%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.82 A$2.59
$0.77 €0.68
136.36%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$43.83 A$62.6
$24.63 €21.91
77.95%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 A$1.92
$2.14 €1.91
-36.92%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.8K A$42.6K
$33.6K €29.9K
-11.13%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.1K A$37.2K
$38.5K €34.2K
-32.14%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Australia
Portugal
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$208 A$297
$134 €119
55.73%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$29.05 A$41.46
$19.84 €17.66
46.42%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$58.7 A$83.8
$40.20 €35.78
45.97%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Australia
Portugal
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$56.4 A$80.5
$41.77 €37.17
35.03%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.40 A$27.69
$15.84 €14.10
22.47%
Cinema Ticket
$15.11 A$21.56
$8.88 €7.90
70.16%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Australia
Portugal
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,113 A$3,015
$482 €429
338.30%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$23.1K A$32.9K
$14.2K €12.6K
62.71%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Australia
Portugal
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$80.0 A$114
$87.0 €77.5
-8.09%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$54.2 A$77.4
$39.85 €35.46
36.06%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$112 A$159
$88.6 €78.9
25.92%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$125 A$178
$98.7 €87.8
26.28%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Australia
Portugal
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,620 A$2,313
$1,076 €957
50.62%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,256 A$1,793
$841 €748
49.34%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,616 A$3,734
$1,831 €1,630
42.85%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,007 A$2,865
$1,327 €1,181
51.29%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$8,539 A$12.2K
$4,115 €3,662
107.50%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,404 A$9,140
$2,855 €2,541
124.29%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Australia
Portugal
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,931 A$5,610
$1,373 €1,222
186.25%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.96
3.73
59.79%

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

Last update for Australia: November 3, 2026

Last update for Portugal: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Australia
$1.3K
Portugal
$841 33% $415
Groceries & Markets
Australia
$373
Portugal
$249 33.2% $124
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Australia
$296
Portugal
$194 34.5% $102
Eating Out
Australia
$295
Portugal
$197 33.4% $99
Clothing & Footwear
Australia
$167
Portugal
$141 15.2% $25
Getting Around
Australia
$116
Portugal
$62 46.7% $54
Sport & Entertainment
Australia
$87
Portugal
$60 31.3% $27

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,381 in Australia vs $970 in Portugal. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,761 in Canberra and $1,641 in Lisbon.

Average salary: $3,863 in Australia vs $1,295 in Portugal. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 42% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 73% more in Australia.

Public transport is 118% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are about 3 times higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

Good to know
🇦🇺 Australia
🇵🇹 Portugal
🕒 Local time
11:05 11:05 AM
00:05 12:05 AM
11 h behind Australia
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
26,473,055
10,347,892
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.701 USD). 1 EUR = 1.61 AUD (1 AUD = 0.622 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 0.89 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Australia Portugal 18,050 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Australia
  • Portugal

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Is Australia more expensive than Portugal?
Portugal is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 33% lower on average.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Housing costs more in Australia: a central one-bedroom averages $1,381 versus $970 in Portugal.
Which country is cheaper for everyday spending?
Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Portugal – part of why living there is about 33% cheaper overall.
Should I move to Australia or to Portugal?
Portugal is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.

Australia vs other spots: cost of living compared

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