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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $645 in Aracaju.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,002 in Aracaju.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,359 in Aracaju.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 255% more expensive than in Aracaju, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Aracaju is 52% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$4.97 R$25.41

225.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$21.83 R$112

190.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$5.29 R$27.05

95.09%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$1.61 R$8.23

75.78%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$0.97 R$4.94

136.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.55 R$2.83

187.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$1.84 R$9.41

84.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$2.59 R$13.25

55.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$0.95 R$4.84

14.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.30 R$6.67

34.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.04 R$5.30

69.23%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$1.51 R$7.71

109.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$6.79 R$34.70

94.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$3.39 R$17.35

135.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$6.35 R$32.45

144.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.64 R$8.39

44.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.14 R$5.80

50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$0.65 R$3.34

209.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$0.98 R$5.00

147.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.89 R$4.52

97.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.88 R$4.50

130.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.46 R$2.34

317.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.56 R$2.87

51.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$2.01 R$10.27

227.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$5.67 R$28.96

-1.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.32 R$6.77

0.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$1.89 R$9.68

57.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.79 R$4.04

188.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

$38.12 R$195

20.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$1.09 R$5.58

288.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$1.09 R$5.57

-25.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$6.17 R$31.54

198.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.04 R$5.30

100.00%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$18.4K R$93.8K

88.93%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$26.3K R$134.5K

48.75%

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

$148 €130

$68.3 R$349

116.89%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$14.32 R$73.2

42.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$15.84 R$80.9

149.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$18.83 R$96.2

154.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

$24.19 R$124

-23.11%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$5.82 R$29.74

58.42%

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

$616 €539

$169 R$863

264.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$4,901 R$25.0K

235.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$51.4 R$263

99.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$30.09 R$154

38.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$68.9 R$352

37.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$79.4 R$406

53.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$179 R$913

813.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$116 R$592

963.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$598 R$3,056

418.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$211 R$1,077

864.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

$1,268 R$6,478

517.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

$867 R$4,432

406.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

$452 R$2,310

255.60%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Aracaju: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $179 in Aracaju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 256% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $22.00 in Aracaju for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 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 255% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $645 including rent). Aracaju is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 256% higher in Lisbon, 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $179 in Aracaju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $169 in Aracaju. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 83% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $645 in Aracaju versus $2,291 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 255% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.