Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Contagem and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Contagem: $776 a month against $2,202 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $17,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Contagem
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Contagem Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Contagem

🇧🇷 Brazil

$776

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $776 per month in Contagem vs $2,202 in Lisbon, rent included.

Contagem $776
Lisbon $2,202

A couple spends around $1,248 per month in Contagem vs $3,274 in Lisbon, rent included.

Contagem $1,248
Lisbon $3,274

A family of three spends $1,719 per month in Contagem vs $4,346 in Lisbon, rent included.

Contagem $1,719
Lisbon $4,346

Contagem is about 65% cheaper than Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Contagem sits 43% below the global median, while Lisbon is 62% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.86 R$29.69

$17.04 €15.15

-65.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.09 R$153

$62.3 €55.4

-51.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.07 R$35.84

$11.02 €9.80

-35.84%

Cappuccino

$1.69 R$8.58

$3.12 €2.78

-45.83%

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

$1.35 R$6.85

$2.27 €2.02

-40.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 R$3.13

$1.74 €1.55

-64.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.26 R$6.41

$3.42 €3.04

-63.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 R$12.72

$3.74 €3.33

-32.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 R$4.84

$1.17 €1.04

-18.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 R$9.30

$1.86 €1.66

-1.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 R$6.85

$1.54 €1.37

-12.34%

Eggs

$2.01 R$10.20

$4.06 €3.61

-50.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.67 R$49.00

$12.91 €11.49

-25.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.39 R$17.16

$7.90 €7.03

-57.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.58 R$38.41

$17.64 €15.69

-57.03%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 R$9.51

$2.26 €2.01

-16.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 R$6.14

$1.75 €1.55

-30.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.96 R$4.87

$1.89 €1.68

-49.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 R$8.31

$2.56 €2.27

-35.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 R$5.49

$1.85 €1.64

-41.62%

Onion (1kg)

$0.96 R$4.86

$1.97 €1.75

-51.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 R$4.25

$1.45 €1.29

-42.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 R$4.20

$0.77 €0.69

7.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.60 R$8.12

$6.71 €5.97

-76.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.80 R$29.41

$5.67 €5.04

2.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 R$4.79

$1.37 €1.22

-31.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 R$7.17

$2.11 €1.88

-33.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.44 R$7.31

$2.32 €2.07

-37.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.3 R$402

$44.43 €39.52

78.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 R$5.74

$3.95 €3.51

-71.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.72 R$3.63

$1.05 €0.93

-31.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.28 R$31.82

$17.15 €15.26

-63.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R$6.48

$2.19 €1.95

-41.55%

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

$23.4K R$118.8K

$33.8K €30.0K

-30.62%

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

$32.2K R$163.0K

$38.3K €34.0K

-15.97%

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

$77.6 R$393

$164 €146

-52.65%

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

$10.12 R$51.3

$18.48 €16.43

-45.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.31 R$97.9

$32.96 €29.32

-41.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.80 R$136

$45.87 €40.80

-41.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.87 R$121

$18.68 €16.61

27.78%

Cinema Ticket

$7.02 R$35.59

$9.75 €8.67

-28.00%

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

$143 R$725

$684 €608

-79.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,614 R$13.2K

$17.6K €15.7K

-85.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 R$304

$104 €92.3

-42.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.09 R$249

$46.20 €41.09

6.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.1 R$340

$99.7 €88.7

-32.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.13 R$244

$125 €111

-61.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$223 R$1,132

$1,589 €1,414

-85.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$154 R$779

$1,169 €1,040

-86.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$472 R$2,391

$2,851 €2,536

-83.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$319 R$1,617

$1,993 €1,773

-84.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,016 R$10.2K

$7,793 €6,932

-74.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,004 R$5,087

$4,418 €3,930

-77.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$263 R$1,331

$1,600 €1,423

-83.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.67

3.85

177.14%

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

Last update for Contagem: October 18, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Contagem

$176 22.7%

Lisbon

$273 12.4% 54.9% $97

Accommodation & Living

Contagem

$154 19.8%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1% 661% $1K

Eating Out

Contagem

$108 13.9%

Lisbon

$247 11.2% 130% $140

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Contagem

$107 13.8%

Lisbon

$215 9.8% 101% $108

Clothing & Footwear

Contagem

$101 13%

Lisbon

$168 7.7% 66.9% $68

Getting Around

Contagem

$90 11.6%

Lisbon

$63 2.9% 29.9% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Contagem

$41 5.3%

Lisbon

$65 3% 60.1% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $223 in Contagem versus $1,589 in Lisbon. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 509% higher in Lisbon, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Contagem versus $62.0 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $176 vs $273 – making Contagem the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Contagem

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

07:48 7:48 AM

11:48 11:48 AM

4 h ahead of Contagem

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

621,863

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 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 October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to BRL in detail →

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Between locations

Contagem Lisbon 7,470 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Contagem
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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

Contagem vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Lisbon is pricier by about 184%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,164 per month in Contagem and $3,302 in Lisbon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Contagem, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 79% less in Contagem. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $143 per month in Contagem and $684 in Lisbon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Contagem, where all-in costs run around $776, than in Lisbon at $2,202. In Contagem it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Contagem – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Contagem. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lisbon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.