Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Caruaru and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Caruaru: $611 a month against $2,206 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $19,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

29

Cost of Living Index in Caruaru
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Caruaru Living Index
106

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Caruaru

🇧🇷 Brazil

$611

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,206

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Caruaru and in Lisbon

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $611 in Caruaru versus $2,206 in Lisbon.

Caruaru $611
Lisbon $2,206

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,000 in Caruaru versus $3,276 in Lisbon.

Caruaru $1,000
Lisbon $3,276

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,388 in Caruaru versus $4,346 in Lisbon.

Caruaru $1,388
Lisbon $4,346

Living in Caruaru costs roughly 72% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Caruaru is 55% below, Lisbon is 63% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.36 R$29.29

$16.86 €15.08

-68.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.77 R$152

$61.0 €54.6

-54.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.57 R$41.36

$10.98 €9.82

-31.06%

Cappuccino

$1.48 R$8.10

$3.05 €2.73

-51.48%

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

$0.97 R$5.32

$2.28 €2.04

-57.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 R$3.25

$1.68 €1.50

-64.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.55 R$8.45

$3.44 €3.07

-54.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 R$12.29

$3.91 €3.49

-42.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 R$5.88

$1.15 €1.03

-6.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 R$5.61

$1.89 €1.69

-45.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.89

$1.50 €1.34

-16.00%

Eggs

$1.88 R$10.28

$4.12 €3.68

-54.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.19 R$22.86

$13.01 €11.63

-67.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.51 R$24.64

$8.04 €7.19

-43.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.99 R$38.19

$17.89 €16.00

-60.93%

Apples (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.89

$2.27 €2.03

-44.49%

Banana (1kg)

$0.91 R$4.98

$1.74 €1.56

-47.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.76 R$4.17

$1.82 €1.63

-58.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.08 R$5.89

$2.69 €2.40

-59.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 R$8.16

$1.77 €1.58

-15.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 R$6.45

$1.94 €1.73

-39.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 R$3.76

$1.46 €1.31

-52.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 R$4.19

$0.76 €0.68

1.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.71 R$14.81

$6.66 €5.95

-59.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.41 R$40.47

$5.64 €5.04

31.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 R$8.56

$1.29 €1.15

21.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 R$11.83

$2.14 €1.91

1.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 R$4.35

$2.30 €2.06

-65.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.98 R$136

$44.02 €39.36

-43.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.07 R$5.84

$3.98 €3.56

-73.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 R$9.92

$0.64 €0.57

184.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.88 R$15.75

$18.93 €16.92

-84.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 R$6.68

$2.28 €2.03

-46.49%

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

$21.8K R$119.3K

$33.4K €29.8K

-34.56%

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

$30.4K R$166.2K

$38.5K €34.4K

-20.97%

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

$51.8 R$283

$158 €141

-67.24%

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

$7.32 R$39.99

$17.54 €15.68

-58.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.16 R$50.1

$31.18 €27.89

-70.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.86 R$75.7

$44.64 €39.92

-68.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.91 R$152

$18.98 €16.97

47.05%

Cinema Ticket

$6.75 R$36.88

$9.58 €8.56

-29.54%

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

$102 R$558

$674 €602

-84.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,162 R$33.7K

$18.7K €16.7K

-67.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.72 R$200

$102 €91.4

-64.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.83 R$250

$45.90 €41.04

-0.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.4 R$445

$102 €91.4

-20.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.0 R$328

$122 €109

-50.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$152 R$829

$1,641 €1,467

-90.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$119 R$648

$1,187 €1,062

-90.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$329 R$1,795

$2,825 €2,526

-88.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$235 R$1,285

$2,018 €1,805

-88.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,836 €7,007

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,701 €4,204

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$238 R$1,302

$1,687 €1,508

-85.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.82

187.96%

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

Last update for Caruaru: October 31, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Caruaru

$156 25.5%

Lisbon

$275 12.5% 76.3% $119

Accommodation & Living

Caruaru

$119 19.4%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8% 901% $1.1K

Eating Out

Caruaru

$102 16.7%

Lisbon

$245 11.1% 141% $143

Clothing & Footwear

Caruaru

$101 16.5%

Lisbon

$168 7.6% 66.2% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Caruaru

$68 11.2%

Lisbon

$207 9.4% 203% $139

Getting Around

Caruaru

$38 6.3%

Lisbon

$60 2.7% 57.7% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Caruaru

$27 4.5%

Lisbon

$64 2.9% 133% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $152 in Caruaru and $1,641 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays about 7.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $28 in Caruaru vs $61 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $156 vs $275 per month, with Caruaru cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Caruaru

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

10:47 10:47 AM

13:47 1:47 PM

3 h ahead of Caruaru

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

377,911

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.183 USD

1 BRL = 0.164 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 5.46 BRL (1 BRL = 0.183 USD). 1 EUR = 6.11 BRL (1 BRL = 0.164 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 0.894 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Caruaru Lisbon 5,920 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Caruaru
Lisbon

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

Caruaru vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $611 in Caruaru and $2,206 in Lisbon, so Caruaru is about 72% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 86% lower in Caruaru. 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: $152 in Caruaru versus $1,641 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $102 in Caruaru versus $674 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 76% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $611 in Caruaru versus $2,206 in Lisbon, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Caruaru but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Caruaru 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.

Expats usually find Caruaru gentler on the wallet – expenses run 72% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.