Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Braga and Santarem

For one person, living is cheaper in Santarem: $1,308 a month against $1,637 in Braga, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Braga outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

78

Cost of Living Index in Braga
Learn more

Braga Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Santarem
Learn more

Santarem Living Index

Jump to prices

Braga

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,637

/mo nomad

Santarem

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,308

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Braga and in Santarem

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,637 in Braga versus $1,308 in Santarem.

Braga $1,637
Santarem $1,308

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,299 in Braga versus $2,009 in Santarem.

Braga $2,299
Santarem $2,009

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,960 in Braga versus $2,711 in Santarem.

Braga $2,960
Santarem $2,711

Living in Braga is roughly 25% more expensive than in Santarem, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Braga is 21% above, Santarem is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.85 €10.55

$12.52 €11.15

-5.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.83 €41.70

$39.00 €34.73

20.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.97 €7.99

$9.14 €8.14

-1.86%

Cappuccino

$1.93 €1.72

$1.75 €1.56

10.29%

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

$2.05 €1.83

$1.76 €1.57

16.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 €1.10

$1.15 €1.02

6.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.29 €2.93

$2.18 €1.94

50.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 €2.20

$3.28 €2.92

-24.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 €0.98

$1.09 €0.97

0.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 €1.54

$0.47 €0.42

268.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.51

$1.08 €0.96

57.41%

Eggs

$3.30 €2.94

$3.31 €2.94

-0.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.47 €8.43

$11.07 €9.86

-14.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.67 €6.83

$6.97 €6.21

10.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.70 €13.09

$13.55 €12.07

8.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.11

$2.73 €2.43

-13.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 €1.25

$1.30 €1.16

7.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 €1.60

$2.48 €2.21

-27.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.54

$2.16 €1.93

31.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 €1.78

$1.38 €1.23

44.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.79

$1.55 €1.38

29.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 €1.14

$1.11 €0.99

15.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.82

$0.29 €0.26

217.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.77 €6.03

$5.67 €5.05

19.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.08 €4.52

$5.75 €5.12

-11.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.17

$1.24 €1.10

5.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 €1.51

$3.62 €3.23

-53.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.76 €1.57

$2.21 €1.97

-20.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.63 €20.15

$56.6 €50.4

-60.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.88

$3.60 €3.21

21.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.66 €0.59

$0.69 €0.62

-4.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.44 €21.76

$24.62 €21.93

-0.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.03

$2.12 €1.89

7.55%

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

$33.9K €30.2K

$33.3K €29.7K

1.77%

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

$38.3K €34.1K

$38.0K €33.9K

0.62%

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

$104 €92.2

$129 €115

-19.90%

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

$17.03 €15.17

$20.37 €18.14

-16.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.47 €40.49

$56.1 €49.94

-18.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.47 €39.60

$38.00 €33.83

17.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.10 €11.66

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 €7.73

$6.79 €6.04

27.98%

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

$313 €279

$432 €384

-27.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,377 €8,349

$24.3K €21.6K

-61.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.1 €62.4

$78.2 €69.6

-10.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.43 €34.21

$37.60 €33.48

2.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.3 €73.3

$106 €94.1

-22.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 €91.5

$132 €118

-22.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 €857

$641 €571

50.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$813 €724

$417 €372

94.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,488 €1,325

$1,040 €926

43.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,089 €969

$787 €701

38.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,669 €2,377

$2,150 €1,914

24.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,986 €1,768

$1,121 €998

77.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,393 €1,240

$1,070 €952

30.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.47

4.76

-27.10%

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

Last update for Braga: November 3, 2026

Last update for Santarem: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Braga

$813 49.7%

Santarem

$417 31.9% 48.7% $396

Groceries & Markets

Braga

$247 15.1%

Santarem

$224 17.1% 9.3% $23

Eating Out

Braga

$179 11%

Santarem

$178 13.6% 1% $1.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Braga

$166 10.1%

Santarem

$206 15.7% 23.9% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Braga

$132 8.1%

Santarem

$159 12.2% 20.4% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Braga

$62 3.8%

Santarem

$52 3.9% 16.6% $10

Getting Around

Braga

$37 2.3%

Santarem

$73 5.6% 94.3% $35

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Braga and $641 in Santarem. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Braga pays 30% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $47 in Braga vs $39 in Santarem for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $247 vs $224 per month, with Santarem cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Braga

🇵🇹 Santarem

🕒 Local time

03:03 3:03 AM

Same time as Braga

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

193,349

58,671

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Braga Santarem 260 km

From you

Braga
Santarem

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

Braga vs Santarem: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,637 in Braga and $1,308 in Santarem, so Santarem is about 20% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 30% higher in Braga, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $963 in Braga versus $641 in Santarem. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $313 in Braga versus $432 in Santarem. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Braga. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Santarem is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Santarem are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Santarem wins on affordability, Braga on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.