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.
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
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Canada
Portugal
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.16CA$25.38
$13.36€11.96
35.93%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$71.2CA$99.5
$49.94€44.73
42.59%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$10.81CA$15.11
$9.87€8.84
9.52%
Cappuccino
$3.78CA$5.28
$2.13€1.90
77.46%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.11CA$2.96
$1.98€1.77
6.57%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.66CA$2.32
$1.33€1.20
24.81%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$5.62CA$7.85
$2.87€2.57
95.82%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$5.72CA$7.99
$3.31€2.97
72.81%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Canada
Portugal
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$2.17CA$3.04
$1.08€0.97
100.93%
White Bread(500g)
$2.60CA$3.64
$1.58€1.41
64.56%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$3.65CA$5.11
$1.56€1.40
133.97%
Eggs
$3.63CA$5.07
$3.33€2.98
9.01%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$10.76CA$15.04
$11.37€10.18
-5.36%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$11.90CA$16.62
$7.72€6.91
54.15%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$15.42CA$21.55
$15.09€13.52
2.19%
Apples(1kg)
$4.03CA$5.63
$2.19€1.96
84.02%
Banana(1kg)
$1.38CA$1.94
$1.46€1.31
-5.48%
Oranges(1kg)
$3.88CA$5.41
$1.82€1.63
113.19%
Tomato(1kg)
$4.08CA$5.70
$2.38€2.13
71.43%
Potato(1kg)
$2.57CA$3.59
$1.73€1.55
48.55%
Onion(1kg)
$2.48CA$3.46
$1.91€1.71
29.84%
Lettuce(1 head)
$2.65CA$3.70
$1.48€1.33
79.05%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.71CA$2.40
$0.73€0.66
134.25%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$14.32CA$20.01
$6.27€5.62
128.39%
Wine(Bottle)
$13.49CA$18.85
$5.42€4.85
148.89%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.84CA$3.97
$1.30€1.17
118.46%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.30CA$4.62
$2.22€1.99
48.65%
🚌 Getting Around
Canada
Portugal
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$2.55CA$3.57
$2.29€2.05
11.35%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$71.9CA$101
$43.82€39.24
64.15%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.18CA$4.44
$3.83€3.43
-16.97%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.54CA$2.15
$1.08€0.97
42.59%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$26.69CA$37.30
$17.04€15.26
56.63%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.24CA$1.74
$2.04€1.83
-39.22%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.9KCA$39.0K
$33.0K€29.6K
-15.61%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.1KCA$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)
$147CA$206
$133€119
10.78%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$41.80CA$58.4
$20.11€18.01
107.86%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$60.2CA$84.1
$40.38€36.16
49.13%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Canada
Portugal
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$39.01CA$54.5
$41.96€37.58
-7.03%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.06CA$26.64
$15.82€14.17
20.48%
Cinema Ticket
$11.21CA$15.66
$8.70€7.79
28.85%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Canada
Portugal
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$721CA$1,008
$484€434
48.88%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$14.8KCA$20.7K
$11.6K€10.4K
27.82%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Canada
Portugal
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$55.3CA$77.2
$87.1€78.0
-36.55%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.95CA$54.4
$39.82€35.66
-2.18%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$87.4CA$122
$89.1€79.8
-1.93%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$101CA$142
$103€92.0
-1.39%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Canada
Portugal
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,290CA$1,803
$1,060€949
21.79%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,130CA$1,579
$839€751
34.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,036CA$2,845
$1,793€1,606
13.57%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,731CA$2,418
$1,341€1,201
29.07%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$4,769CA$6,664
$4,099€3,671
16.34%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$3,730CA$5,211
$2,921€2,616
27.67%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Canada
Portugal
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$3,070CA$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.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Canada
$1.1K 48.9%
Portugal
$839 48.2% ↓ 25.8%$291
🛒Groceries & Markets
Canada
$371 16.1%
Portugal
$249 14.3% ↓ 33%$122
🍽Eating Out
Canada
$278 12%
Portugal
$196 11.3% ↓ 29.4%$82
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Canada
$249 10.8%
Portugal
$194 11.1% ↓ 22.4%$56
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Canada
$127 5.5%
Portugal
$143 8.2% ↑ 12.7%$16
🚌Getting Around
Canada
$93 4%
Portugal
$62 3.6% ↓ 33.1%$31
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Canada
$61 2.7%
Portugal
$59 3.4% ↓ 3.4%$2.1
🏠Accommodation & Living
Canada
$1.7K 39.3%
Portugal
$1.3K 39.8% ↓ 22.5%$390
🛒Groceries & Markets
Canada
$847 19.2%
Portugal
$589 17.5% ↓ 30.4%$258
🍽Eating Out
Canada
$918 20.9%
Portugal
$647 19.2% ↓ 29.6%$272
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Canada
$291 6.6%
Portugal
$214 6.3% ↓ 26.6%$78
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Canada
$283 6.4%
Portugal
$319 9.5% ↑ 12.7%$36
🚌Getting Around
Canada
$191 4.3%
Portugal
$129 3.8% ↓ 32.5%$62
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Canada
$142 3.2%
Portugal
$135 4% ↓ 5.2%$7.4
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.
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.