Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fortaleza and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Fortaleza: $872 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $16,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Fortaleza
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Fortaleza Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Fortaleza

🇧🇷 Brazil

$872

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $872 per month in Fortaleza vs $2,210 in Lisbon, rent included.

Fortaleza $872
Lisbon $2,210

A couple spends around $1,391 per month in Fortaleza vs $3,275 in Lisbon, rent included.

Fortaleza $1,391
Lisbon $3,275

A family of three spends $1,909 per month in Fortaleza vs $4,341 in Lisbon, rent included.

Fortaleza $1,909
Lisbon $4,341

Fortaleza is about 61% cheaper than Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Fortaleza sits 36% below the global median, while Lisbon is 62% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.67 R$30.30

$16.65 €14.95

-65.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.52 R$147

$61.7 €55.5

-55.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.49 R$40.06

$11.36 €10.20

-34.07%

Cappuccino

$2.18 R$11.68

$2.97 €2.67

-26.60%

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

$1.08 R$5.75

$2.29 €2.06

-52.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 R$3.40

$1.74 €1.56

-63.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.09 R$11.18

$3.40 €3.06

-38.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 R$20.20

$3.31 €2.97

14.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 R$5.94

$1.16 €1.04

-4.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.87 R$10.01

$1.91 €1.72

-2.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.12 R$6.00

$1.51 €1.36

-25.83%

Eggs

$1.65 R$8.84

$4.02 €3.61

-58.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.19 R$38.45

$12.94 €11.62

-44.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.84 R$20.55

$7.77 €6.98

-50.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.71 R$46.58

$17.76 €15.95

-50.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 R$14.57

$2.30 €2.07

18.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 R$6.99

$1.73 €1.56

-24.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.76 R$4.07

$1.86 €1.67

-59.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.70 R$9.11

$2.59 €2.33

-34.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 R$6.34

$1.82 €1.64

-34.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 R$5.37

$1.97 €1.77

-49.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 R$4.96

$1.47 €1.32

-36.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 R$5.24

$0.72 €0.65

36.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.06 R$10.99

$6.58 €5.91

-68.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.52 R$34.88

$5.61 €5.04

16.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R$7.42

$1.36 €1.22

2.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 R$7.91

$2.14 €1.92

-30.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 R$5.21

$2.33 €2.10

-58.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.47 R$243

$44.68 €40.14

1.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.26 R$6.75

$3.85 €3.46

-67.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 R$4.17

$1.07 €0.96

-27.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.99 R$37.40

$16.46 €14.79

-57.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 R$6.71

$2.20 €1.98

-43.18%

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

$22.2K R$118.4K

$34.2K €30.7K

-35.21%

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

$31.1K R$166.1K

$38.7K €34.8K

-19.76%

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

$114 R$610

$161 €145

-29.18%

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

$10.10 R$54.0

$18.41 €16.54

-45.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.69 R$105

$32.74 €29.41

-39.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.72 R$127

$44.55 €40.02

-46.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.82 R$213

$19.10 €17.16

108.48%

Cinema Ticket

$7.31 R$39.06

$9.60 €8.62

-23.85%

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

$199 R$1,063

$668 €600

-70.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,707 R$19.8K

$17.6K €15.8K

-78.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.2 R$322

$102 €91.6

-40.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.6 R$303

$44.46 €39.94

27.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 R$635

$98.5 €88.5

20.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.4 R$344

$124 €111

-47.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$307 R$1,644

$1,608 €1,445

-80.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$197 R$1,052

$1,190 €1,069

-83.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$546 R$2,917

$2,812 €2,526

-80.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$432 R$2,308

$2,013 €1,808

-78.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,356 R$12.6K

$7,839 €7,042

-69.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,270 R$6,792

$4,576 €4,110

-72.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$460 R$2,460

$1,575 €1,415

-70.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.38

3.85

195.58%

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

Last update for Fortaleza: October 26, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fortaleza

$197 22.6%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8% 505% $993

Groceries & Markets

Fortaleza

$185 21.2%

Lisbon

$272 12.3% 47.3% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fortaleza

$144 16.5%

Lisbon

$212 9.6% 47.5% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Fortaleza

$135 15.5%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 22.9% $31

Eating Out

Fortaleza

$119 13.6%

Lisbon

$243 11% 104% $124

Getting Around

Fortaleza

$55 6.3%

Lisbon

$63 2.9% 15.9% $8.7

Sport & Entertainment

Fortaleza

$38 4.4%

Lisbon

$64 2.9% 66.3% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $307 in Fortaleza versus $1,608 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 in Lisbon are about 3.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28 in Fortaleza versus $62 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $185 vs $272 – making Fortaleza the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Fortaleza

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

12:10 12:10 PM

15:10 3:10 PM

3 h ahead of Fortaleza

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,428,708

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.187 USD

1 BRL = 0.168 EUR

1 EUR = 1.11 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 5.35 BRL (1 BRL = 0.187 USD). 1 EUR = 5.95 BRL (1 BRL = 0.168 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Fortaleza Lisbon 5,600 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Fortaleza
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

Fortaleza vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon costs about 153% more than Fortaleza, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,308 per month in Fortaleza and $3,315 in Lisbon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Fortaleza, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $307 there versus $1,608 in Lisbon.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28 in Fortaleza and $62 in Lisbon. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 47% more in Lisbon, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $872 in Fortaleza and $2,210 in Lisbon. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Fortaleza costs $872 versus $2,210 in Lisbon. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Fortaleza. 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.