Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Aracaju Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Aracaju

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $643 in Aracaju.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $999 in Aracaju.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,355 in Aracaju.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 244% more expensive than Aracaju, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Aracaju is 52% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$4.94 R$24.97

222.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$21.74 R$110

197.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$5.31 R$26.89

97.93%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$1.64 R$8.28

75.00%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$1.03 R$5.19

117.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.56 R$2.83

167.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$1.82 R$9.20

91.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$2.63 R$13.32

47.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.01 R$5.13

12.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.26 R$6.38

38.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.02 R$5.18

72.55%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$1.55 R$7.84

107.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.62

$6.54 R$33.08

106.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$3.41 R$17.26

131.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$6.32 R$31.98

151.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.62 R$8.18

42.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.09 R$5.52

55.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$0.60 R$3.05

235.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$0.99 R$5.02

148.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$0.92 R$4.67

100.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$0.83 R$4.17

140.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.50 R$2.53

286.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.60 R$3.05

31.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$2.00 R$10.10

230.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$5.79 R$29.31

-1.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.31 R$6.62

4.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.85 R$9.38

60.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.79 R$4.00

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.23

$37.78 R$191

20.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$1.05 R$5.30

308.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.10 R$5.56

-25.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$6.25 R$31.61

192.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.04 R$5.25

98.08%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$17.8K R$90.2K

92.17%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$26.6K R$134.6K

47.65%

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

$148 €127

$65.9 R$333

124.35%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$13.94 R$70.6

47.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.11

$15.74 R$79.6

151.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.20

$18.70 R$94.6

155.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$24.02 R$122

-21.23%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$5.90 R$29.87

55.59%

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

$614 €529

$164 R$829

274.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$4,851 R$24.5K

230.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$52.4 R$265

99.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.22

$30.07 R$152

39.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$69.8 R$353

34.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$79.3 R$401

50.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,402

$178 R$902

813.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$117 R$593

971.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$601 R$3,041

404.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,740

$212 R$1,072

853.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,716

$1,311 R$6,634

494.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,679

$901 R$4,561

374.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,381

$454 R$2,295

253.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

10.35

-63.19%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Aracaju: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $178 in Aracaju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 253% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $22.00 in Aracaju for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $146 per month, with Aracaju cheaper across the board.

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

Lisbon vs Aracaju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Aracaju differ by about 244% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $643 including rent). Aracaju is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 253% more on average, 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $178 in Aracaju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $164 in Aracaju. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 84% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $643 in Aracaju versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Aracaju but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Aracaju 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, Lisbon and Aracaju 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 Aracaju gentler on the wallet – expenses run 244% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.