Cost of Living Comparison Between Braga and Cascais Cost of Living Comparison Between Braga and Cascais

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,557 in Braga versus $2,195 in Cascais.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,318 in Braga versus $3,513 in Cascais.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,078 in Braga versus $4,831 in Cascais.

Living in Braga costs roughly 29% less than in Cascais, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Braga 16% above, Cascais 64% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.33 €8.89

$14.14 €12.17

-26.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.7 €50.5

$46.31 €39.87

26.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.05 €7.79

$9.08 €7.82

-0.33%

Cappuccino

$1.93 €1.66

$2.89 €2.49

-33.22%

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

$1.86 €1.60

$2.15 €1.85

-13.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 €0.97

$1.50 €1.29

-24.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 €2.72

$2.25 €1.93

40.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$3.46 €2.97

-2.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.94

$1.07 €0.92

1.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 €1.33

$1.83 €1.57

-15.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 €1.36

$1.88 €1.62

-16.49%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.80

$3.08 €2.65

5.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 €8.45

$11.13 €9.58

-11.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 €6.85

$7.77 €6.69

2.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.44 €11.57

$14.43 €12.42

-6.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$2.48 €2.14

-19.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 €1.22

$1.70 €1.47

-16.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 €1.57

$1.96 €1.69

-7.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.97 €2.55

$2.90 €2.50

2.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.46 €1.26

16.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 €1.61

$2.05 €1.77

-8.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 €1.05

$1.72 €1.48

-29.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 €0.81

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.59 €5.68

$6.07 €5.22

8.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.73 €4.07

$7.96 €6.85

-40.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.13

$1.27 €1.09

3.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €2.00

$2.64 €2.27

-12.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.81 €1.56

$2.67 €2.29

-32.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.33 €20.09

$46.99 €40.46

-50.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.34 €3.74

$4.06 €3.49

6.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 €1.42

$0.86 €0.74

91.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.87 €14.53

$14.53 €12.51

16.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 €1.65

$1.98 €1.71

-3.54%

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

$37.1K €32.0K

$34.9K €30.0K

6.50%

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

$40.2K €34.6K

$40.0K €34.5K

0.34%

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

$139 €120

$147 €127

-5.34%

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

$20.96 €18.05

$21.49 €18.50

-2.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.08 €39.67

$41.98 €36.14

9.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.75 €40.25

$68.9 €59.3

-32.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.20 €7.92

$11.37 €9.79

-19.09%

Cinema Ticket

$8.55 €7.36

$8.42 €7.25

1.54%

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

$344 €296

$616 €530

-44.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K €8,933

$16.2K €13.9K

-35.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 €60.7

$87.5 €75.3

-19.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.81 €33.42

$38.42 €33.08

1.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.6 €72.9

$92.7 €79.8

-8.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.6 €85.7

$94.1 €81.0

5.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$894 €769

$1,712 €1,474

-47.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$707 €608

$1,277 €1,100

-44.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,427 €1,228

$3,794 €3,266

-62.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,112 €957

$2,605 €2,243

-57.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,634 €2,268

$7,217 €6,213

-63.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,962 €1,689

$5,058 €4,354

-61.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,310 €1,128

$2,300 €1,980

-43.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.15

3.81

35.17%

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

Last update for Braga: June 1, 2026

Last update for Cascais: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $894 in Braga and $1,712 in Cascais. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cascais pays 76% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $59.0 in Braga vs $46.00 in Cascais. Groceries flip the comparison at $242 vs $263, with Braga cheaper for home cooking.

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

Braga vs Cascais: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Braga and Cascais differ by about 41% in total monthly costs ($1,557 vs $2,195 including rent). Braga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Cascais earns 76% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $894 in Braga versus $1,712 in Cascais. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $344 in Braga versus $616 in Cascais. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Cascais. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,557 in Braga versus $2,195 in Cascais, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Braga but tight or insufficient in Cascais. The gap between the two cities makes Braga 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, Braga and Cascais 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 Braga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Cascais. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.