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: $2,235 in Cascais versus $1,601 in Braga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,640 in Cascais versus $2,310 in Braga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,045 in Cascais versus $3,019 in Braga.

Living in Cascais is roughly 40% more expensive than in Braga, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cascais 62% above, Braga 16% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.08 €13.86

$11.41 €9.84

40.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.46 €40.05

$50.2 €43.28

-7.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.97 €8.59

$9.27 €7.99

7.55%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.44

$1.98 €1.71

42.93%

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

$2.01 €1.74

$2.28 €1.96

-11.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 €1.97

$1.22 €1.05

86.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.41 €2.94

$3.53 €3.04

-3.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$2.87 €2.47

99.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.16

$1.11 €0.96

21.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.41 €2.07

$2.11 €1.82

14.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.46

$1.85 €1.60

-8.65%

Eggs

$3.46 €2.98

$3.59 €3.10

-3.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.20 €9.66

$9.82 €8.47

14.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.08 €6.11

$8.17 €7.04

-13.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.05 €13.83

$15.25 €13.15

5.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 €2.53

$2.37 €2.05

24.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 €1.36

$1.46 €1.26

8.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.66 €2.29

$1.93 €1.66

37.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.34 €2.01

$2.88 €2.48

-18.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$2.07 €1.79

-20.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.45 €2.12

$1.90 €1.63

28.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.28 €1.11

38.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 €0.96

$0.93 €0.80

20.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 €5.19

$6.81 €5.87

-11.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.02 €6.91

$4.68 €4.03

71.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$1.31 €1.13

1.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 €3.94

$1.68 €1.45

172.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 €2.20

$1.84 €1.59

38.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.41 €40.86

$23.47 €20.23

102.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.28 €1.97

$4.50 €3.88

-49.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 €1.52

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.88 €14.55

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 €1.91

$2.18 €1.88

1.38%

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

$35.2K €30.4K

$34.8K €30.0K

1.33%

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

$39.7K €34.2K

$39.8K €34.3K

-0.12%

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

$139 €120

$112 €96.7

23.77%

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

$25.99 €22.41

$18.81 €16.21

38.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.1 €49.19

$47.99 €41.37

18.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.2 €55.3

$47.09 €40.59

36.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.74 €10.12

$13.61 €11.73

-13.74%

Cinema Ticket

$7.76 €6.69

$9.15 €7.89

-15.19%

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

$767 €661

$354 €305

116.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.3K €16.6K

$10.5K €9,045

83.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.2 €69.1

$68.6 €59.1

16.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.71 €33.37

$38.47 €33.16

0.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 €96.9

$87.7 €75.6

28.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 €118

$102 €87.6

34.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,853 €1,597

$946 €815

95.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,168 €1,007

$766 €660

52.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,963 €3,416

$1,462 €1,260

171.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,640 €2,276

$1,094 €943

141.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,120 €6,137

$2,620 €2,259

171.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,985 €4,297

$1,963 €1,692

153.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,338 €2,015

$1,322 €1,139

76.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.67

3.55

3.38%

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

Last update for Cascais: September 7, 2026

Last update for Braga: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,853 in Cascais and $946 in Braga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cascais pays 77% 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 $50.0 in Braga. Groceries flip the comparison at $284 vs $258, 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 40% in total monthly costs ($2,235 vs $1,601 including rent). Braga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 77% 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: $1,853 in Cascais versus $946 in Braga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $767 in Cascais versus $354 in Braga. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Cascais. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,601 in Braga versus $2,235 in Cascais, a $3,000 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 40% less than in Cascais. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.