Cost of Living Comparison Between Canada and Portugal Cost of Living Comparison Between Canada and Portugal

Name: Portugal
Address: PT

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,320 per month in Canada vs $1,640 in Portugal, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,377 per month in Canada vs $2,413 in Portugal, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,433 per month in Canada vs $3,186 in Portugal, rent included.

Canada costs about 41% more than Portugal on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Canada and Portugal are pricier than the global median – Canada by 73%, Portugal by 22%.

Canada has a wider regional cost range ($1,320–$3,077) than Portugal ($1,046–$2,370), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Canada.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.77 CA$26.22

$11.60 €9.99

61.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.2 CA$104

$52.5 €45.23

41.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.25 CA$15.71

$9.45 €8.14

19.05%

Cappuccino

$3.86 CA$5.39

$2.22 €1.91

73.87%

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

$2.19 CA$3.06

$2.02 €1.74

8.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 CA$2.36

$1.35 €1.17

25.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.96 CA$8.32

$2.82 €2.43

111.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 CA$8.25

$3.56 €3.07

66.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.29 CA$3.19

$1.07 €0.92

114.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.76 CA$3.85

$1.59 €1.37

73.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.60 CA$5.03

$1.59 €1.37

126.42%

Eggs

$3.50 CA$4.89

$3.09 €2.66

13.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.47 CA$16.01

$11.71 €10.09

-2.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.38 CA$17.30

$7.93 €6.83

56.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.97 CA$20.90

$14.27 €12.29

4.91%

Apples (1kg)

$4.22 CA$5.90

$2.28 €1.97

85.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 CA$2.10

$1.50 €1.29

0.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.90 CA$5.45

$1.80 €1.55

116.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.11 CA$5.73

$2.57 €2.21

59.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 CA$3.90

$1.68 €1.45

66.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.62 CA$3.66

$2.03 €1.75

29.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.66 CA$3.72

$1.56 €1.35

70.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 CA$2.53

$0.81 €0.70

124.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.71 CA$20.55

$6.23 €5.37

136.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.87 CA$17.98

$5.59 €4.82

130.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.02 CA$4.21

$1.30 €1.12

132.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 CA$4.74

$2.43 €2.09

39.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.59 CA$3.62

$2.36 €2.03

9.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.1 CA$109

$45.82 €39.48

70.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 CA$4.97

$4.03 €3.47

-11.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 CA$2.05

$1.01 €0.87

45.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.11 CA$40.65

$17.15 €14.78

69.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 CA$1.63

$2.01 €1.73

-41.79%

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

$24.6K CA$34.4K

$34.7K €29.9K

-29.02%

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

$20.5K CA$28.6K

$39.1K €33.7K

-47.58%

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

$154 CA$215

$131 €113

17.58%

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

$46.20 CA$64.5

$21.91 €18.88

110.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.1 CA$88.1

$42.34 €36.48

48.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.87 CA$59.9

$44.71 €38.53

-4.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.61 CA$24.60

$16.66 €14.36

5.70%

Cinema Ticket

$11.46 CA$16.00

$8.71 €7.51

31.57%

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

$813 CA$1,136

$493 €425

65.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K CA$17.1K

$12.4K €10.7K

-1.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.3 CA$78.6

$89.5 €77.2

-37.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.36 CA$57.8

$38.64 €33.29

7.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.0 CA$124

$89.0 €76.7

-0.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$149

$105 €90.7

1.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,380 CA$1,927

$1,059 €913

30.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,182 CA$1,651

$846 €729

39.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,125 CA$2,968

$1,798 €1,549

18.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,889 CA$2,638

$1,333 €1,149

41.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,826 CA$6,740

$4,086 €3,521

18.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,896 CA$5,441

$2,867 €2,470

35.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,947 CA$4,115

$1,327 €1,143

122.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.33

4.83

31.06%

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

Last update for Canada: June 7, 2026

Last update for Portugal: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,279 in Canada vs $937 in Portugal. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,500 in Ottawa and $1,621 in Lisbon.

Average salary: $2,945 in Canada vs $1,311 in Portugal. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 36% higher in Canada.

Dining out costs 42% more in Canada.

Public transport is 59% more expensive in Canada.

Salaries are 125% higher in Canada, giving Canada stronger purchasing power.

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

Portugal is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 29% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Canada, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Canada consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Portugal, contributing to the overall 29% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$3,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Portugal, but in Canada it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Portugal is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.