Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Canada and Portugal

For one person, living is cheaper in Portugal: $1,742 a month against $2,310 in Canada, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Canada
Portugal
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,310
/mo nomad
🇵🇹 Portugal
$1,742
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Canada 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 Canada and in Portugal actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,310 per month in Canada vs $1,742 in Portugal, rent included.

  • Canada $2,310
  • Portugal $1,742

A couple spends around $3,356 per month in Canada vs $2,557 in Portugal, rent included.

  • Canada $3,356
  • Portugal $2,557

A family of three spends $4,403 per month in Canada vs $3,373 in Portugal, rent included.

  • Canada $4,403
  • Portugal $3,373

The regional cost range is wider in Canada ($889–$3,737) than in Portugal ($1,014–$2,351), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Canada is about 33% higher than in Portugal on average.

Both Canada and Portugal are pricier than the global median – Canada by 70%, Portugal by 28%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Canada
Portugal
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.16 CA$25.38
$13.36 €11.96
35.93%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$71.2 CA$99.5
$49.94 €44.73
42.59%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.81 CA$15.11
$9.87 €8.84
9.52%
Cappuccino
$3.78 CA$5.28
$2.13 €1.90
77.46%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.11 CA$2.96
$1.98 €1.77
6.57%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.66 CA$2.32
$1.33 €1.20
24.81%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.62 CA$7.85
$2.87 €2.57
95.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.72 CA$7.99
$3.31 €2.97
72.81%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Canada
Portugal
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.17 CA$3.04
$1.08 €0.97
100.93%
White Bread (500g)
$2.60 CA$3.64
$1.58 €1.41
64.56%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.65 CA$5.11
$1.56 €1.40
133.97%
Eggs
$3.63 CA$5.07
$3.33 €2.98
9.01%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.76 CA$15.04
$11.37 €10.18
-5.36%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.90 CA$16.62
$7.72 €6.91
54.15%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.42 CA$21.55
$15.09 €13.52
2.19%
Apples (1kg)
$4.03 CA$5.63
$2.19 €1.96
84.02%
Banana (1kg)
$1.38 CA$1.94
$1.46 €1.31
-5.48%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.88 CA$5.41
$1.82 €1.63
113.19%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.08 CA$5.70
$2.38 €2.13
71.43%
Potato (1kg)
$2.57 CA$3.59
$1.73 €1.55
48.55%
Onion (1kg)
$2.48 CA$3.46
$1.91 €1.71
29.84%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.65 CA$3.70
$1.48 €1.33
79.05%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.71 CA$2.40
$0.73 €0.66
134.25%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.32 CA$20.01
$6.27 €5.62
128.39%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.49 CA$18.85
$5.42 €4.85
148.89%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.84 CA$3.97
$1.30 €1.17
118.46%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.30 CA$4.62
$2.22 €1.99
48.65%
🚌 Getting Around
Canada
Portugal
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.55 CA$3.57
$2.29 €2.05
11.35%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$71.9 CA$101
$43.82 €39.24
64.15%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.18 CA$4.44
$3.83 €3.43
-16.97%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.54 CA$2.15
$1.08 €0.97
42.59%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$26.69 CA$37.30
$17.04 €15.26
56.63%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.24 CA$1.74
$2.04 €1.83
-39.22%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.9K CA$39.0K
$33.0K €29.6K
-15.61%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.1K CA$29.4K
$37.8K €33.8K
-44.25%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Canada
Portugal
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$147 CA$206
$133 €119
10.78%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$41.80 CA$58.4
$20.11 €18.01
107.86%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$60.2 CA$84.1
$40.38 €36.16
49.13%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Canada
Portugal
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$39.01 CA$54.5
$41.96 €37.58
-7.03%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.06 CA$26.64
$15.82 €14.17
20.48%
Cinema Ticket
$11.21 CA$15.66
$8.70 €7.79
28.85%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Canada
Portugal
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$721 CA$1,008
$484 €434
48.88%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.8K CA$20.7K
$11.6K €10.4K
27.82%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Canada
Portugal
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$55.3 CA$77.2
$87.1 €78.0
-36.55%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.95 CA$54.4
$39.82 €35.66
-2.18%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$87.4 CA$122
$89.1 €79.8
-1.93%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$101 CA$142
$103 €92.0
-1.39%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Canada
Portugal
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,290 CA$1,803
$1,060 €949
21.79%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,130 CA$1,579
$839 €751
34.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,036 CA$2,845
$1,793 €1,606
13.57%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,731 CA$2,418
$1,341 €1,201
29.07%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,769 CA$6,664
$4,099 €3,671
16.34%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,730 CA$5,211
$2,921 €2,616
27.67%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Canada
Portugal
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,070 CA$4,289
$1,331 €1,192
130.59%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.87
3.73
30.56%

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

Last update for Canada: October 26, 2026

Last update for Portugal: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Canada
$1.1K
Portugal
$839 25.8% $291
Groceries & Markets
Canada
$371
Portugal
$249 33% $122
Eating Out
Canada
$278
Portugal
$196 29.4% $82
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Canada
$249
Portugal
$194 22.4% $56
Clothing & Footwear
Canada
$127
Portugal
$143 12.7% $16
Getting Around
Canada
$93
Portugal
$62 33.1% $31
Sport & Entertainment
Canada
$61
Portugal
$59 3.4% $2.1

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,250 in Canada vs $972 in Portugal. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,434 in Ottawa and $1,608 in Lisbon.

Average salary: $2,968 in Canada vs $1,283 in Portugal. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 29% higher in Canada.

Dining out costs 33% more in Canada.

Public transport is 69% more expensive in Canada.

Salaries are about 2.3 times higher in Canada, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Canada.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Canada
🇵🇹 Portugal
🕒 Local time
20:31 8:31 PM
00:31 12:31 AM
4 h ahead of Canada
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
36,991,981
10,347,892
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.716 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.641 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Canada Portugal 5,390 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Canada
  • 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
Canada vs Portugal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Canada more expensive than Portugal?
Portugal is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 25% lower on average.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Housing costs more in Canada: a central one-bedroom averages $1,250 versus $972 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 25% cheaper overall.
Should I move to Canada 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.

Canada vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar countries

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?