Cost of Living Comparison Between Cascais and Braga Cost of Living Comparison Between Cascais and Braga

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,240 in Cascais versus $1,540 in Braga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,477 in Cascais versus $2,289 in Braga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,714 in Cascais versus $3,037 in Braga.

Living in Cascais is roughly 45% more expensive than in Braga, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cascais 68% above, Braga 15% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.84 €12.12

$10.39 €9.10

33.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.27 €40.52

$57.4 €50.3

-19.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.13 €8.00

$9.08 €7.95

0.55%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.55

$1.92 €1.68

51.56%

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

$2.16 €1.89

$1.87 €1.64

15.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.38

$1.13 €0.99

38.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 €1.97

$3.12 €2.73

-27.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 €3.03

$3.39 €2.97

2.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 €0.92

$1.09 €0.96

-3.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.60 €1.40

13.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$1.63 €1.42

13.50%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.76

$3.13 €2.74

0.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.22 €9.83

$9.70 €8.49

15.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.78 €6.82

$8.17 €7.16

-4.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.49 €12.69

$13.90 €12.17

4.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.49 €2.18

$1.99 €1.74

25.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.44

$1.44 €1.26

13.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.81 €1.59

12.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.87 €2.51

$2.93 €2.57

-2.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 €1.33

$1.70 €1.49

-10.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 €1.74

$1.85 €1.62

7.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.65 €1.45

$1.22 €1.06

35.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 €0.82

$0.93 €0.82

1.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.99 €5.25

$6.60 €5.78

-9.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.96 €6.97

$4.62 €4.05

72.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 €1.10

$1.31 €1.14

-4.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 €2.35

$2.31 €2.03

16.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.79 €2.45

$1.82 €1.59

53.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.13 €40.40

$23.34 €20.44

97.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.28 €3.75

$4.33 €3.79

-1.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 €0.76

$1.57 €1.37

-44.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.45 €12.66

$16.89 €14.80

-14.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.97 €1.73

-2.54%

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

$34.2K €29.9K

$36.5K €31.9K

-6.23%

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

$39.6K €34.7K

$38.7K €33.9K

2.30%

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

$148 €130

$139 €122

6.61%

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

$21.68 €18.99

$21.70 €19.00

-0.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.69 €36.51

$45.39 €39.75

-8.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 €60.2

$46.91 €41.08

46.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.50 €10.07

$8.83 €7.73

30.24%

Cinema Ticket

$8.47 €7.42

$9.02 €7.90

-6.10%

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

$608 €532

$345 €302

76.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K €13.9K

$10.2K €8,968

54.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.9 €76.1

$69.5 €60.9

25.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.35 €33.59

$39.23 €34.36

-2.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 €82.4

$87.1 €76.3

8.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.9 €79.6

$99.1 €86.8

-8.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,696 €1,485

$903 €791

87.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,262 €1,105

$722 €633

74.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,736 €3,272

$1,438 €1,259

159.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,687 €2,353

$1,115 €976

141.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,915 €6,056

$2,485 €2,176

178.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,882 €4,276

$1,913 €1,675

155.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,308 €2,022

$1,289 €1,129

79.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

5.15

-26.02%

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

Last update for Cascais: July 13, 2026

Last update for Braga: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,696 in Cascais and $903 in Braga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cascais pays 79% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $46.00 in Cascais vs $57.0 in Braga. Groceries flip the comparison at $264 vs $243, with Braga cheaper for home cooking.

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

Cascais vs Braga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cascais and Braga differ by about 45% in total monthly costs ($2,240 vs $1,540 including rent). Braga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 79% higher in Cascais, 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: $1,696 in Cascais versus $903 in Braga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $608 in Cascais versus $345 in Braga. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Cascais. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,540 in Braga versus $2,240 in Cascais, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Braga but tight or insufficient in Cascais. The gap between the two cities makes Braga 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.

Safety-wise, Cascais and Braga are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Braga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Cascais. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.