Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Castelo Branco and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Castelo Branco: $1,100 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

53

Cost of Living Index in Castelo Branco
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Castelo Branco Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Castelo Branco

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,100

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Castelo Branco 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 Castelo Branco and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,100 in Castelo Branco versus $2,223 in Lisbon.

Castelo Branco $1,100
Lisbon $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,666 in Castelo Branco versus $3,271 in Lisbon.

Castelo Branco $1,666
Lisbon $3,271

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,233 in Castelo Branco versus $4,319 in Lisbon.

Castelo Branco $2,233
Lisbon $4,319

Living in Castelo Branco costs roughly 51% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Castelo Branco is 19% below, Lisbon is 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.29 €10.05

$16.50 €14.67

-31.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.12 €34.80

$61.3 €54.5

-36.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.62 €8.56

$11.27 €10.03

-14.64%

Cappuccino

$1.25 €1.11

$3.06 €2.72

-59.15%

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

$1.41 €1.25

$2.26 €2.01

-37.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 €1.12

$1.73 €1.54

-27.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.09 €0.97

$3.39 €3.02

-67.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 €1.96

$3.40 €3.02

-35.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.12 €1.00

4.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 €1.16

$1.86 €1.65

-30.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 €1.29

$1.53 €1.36

-5.23%

Eggs

$3.87 €3.44

$3.96 €3.53

-2.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.76 €7.79

$12.76 €11.35

-31.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.80 €5.16

$7.90 €7.02

-26.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.58 €7.63

$16.97 €15.09

-49.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.11 €1.88

$2.27 €2.02

-7.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 €1.17

$1.75 €1.55

-25.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 €1.56

$1.85 €1.64

-5.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 €2.05

$2.57 €2.28

-10.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.65 €1.47

$1.86 €1.65

-11.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 €1.29

$2.02 €1.80

-28.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 €1.02

$1.44 €1.28

-20.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.72

$0.82 €0.73

-1.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.97 €5.31

$6.56 €5.83

-8.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.39 €3.01

$5.62 €5.00

-39.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.28 €1.14

-8.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.73

$2.07 €1.84

-5.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 €1.11

$2.35 €2.09

-46.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.20 €19.75

$44.18 €39.30

-49.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.25 €2.00

$3.99 €3.55

-43.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 €0.66

$1.09 €0.97

-32.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.67 €14.83

$16.64 €14.81

0.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.04 €1.82

$2.28 €2.03

-10.53%

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

$33.5K €29.8K

$33.7K €30.0K

-0.49%

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

$40.5K €36.0K

$39.3K €35.0K

3.02%

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

$120 €106

$167 €149

-28.56%

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

$19.03 €16.92

$18.80 €16.72

1.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.99 €28.45

$33.09 €29.43

-3.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.32 €34.97

$46.01 €40.93

-14.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.19 €17.07

Cinema Ticket

$6.70 €5.96

$9.84 €8.75

-31.91%

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

$678 €603

$677 €602

0.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K €15.1K

0.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.7 €70.0

$101 €90.1

-22.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.71 €39.77

$45.76 €40.70

-2.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.1 €73.0

$100.0 €88.9

-17.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.6 €60.2

$123 €109

-44.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$458 €407

$1,614 €1,436

-71.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$363 €323

$1,197 €1,065

-69.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$796 €708

$2,862 €2,545

-72.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$605 €538

$1,990 €1,770

-69.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,574 €1,400

$7,577 €6,740

-79.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,322 €1,176

$4,307 €3,831

-69.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,617 €1,438

$1,588 €1,412

1.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

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

Last update for Castelo Branco: October 13, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Castelo Branco

$363 33%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9% 230% $834

Groceries & Markets

Castelo Branco

$203 18.4%

Lisbon

$269 12.1% 32.9% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Castelo Branco

$171 15.5%

Lisbon

$219 9.9% 28.5% $49

Eating Out

Castelo Branco

$155 14.1%

Lisbon

$242 10.9% 56.6% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Castelo Branco

$123 11.2%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 35.4% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Castelo Branco

$53 4.8%

Lisbon

$66 3% 24.6% $13

Getting Around

Castelo Branco

$33 3%

Lisbon

$63 2.8% 89.8% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $458 in Castelo Branco and $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Castelo Branco pays 2% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $39.00 in Castelo Branco vs $61.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $203 vs $269 per month, with Castelo Branco cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Castelo Branco

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

13:33 1:33 PM

Same time as Castelo Branco

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

52,291

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Castelo Branco vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Castelo Branco is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 102% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 2% higher in Castelo Branco, 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: $458 in Castelo Branco versus $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,100 per month in Castelo Branco versus $2,223 in Lisbon – a 102% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Castelo Branco runs roughly 99% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,100 in Castelo Branco versus $2,223 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Castelo Branco but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Castelo Branco the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Castelo Branco is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lisbon, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Castelo Branco and Lisbon 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 Castelo Branco gentler on the wallet – expenses run 102% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.