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: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $736 in Aracaju.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,146 in Aracaju.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $1,555 in Aracaju.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 208% more expensive than in Aracaju, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Aracaju is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.13

$4.92 R$25.21

256.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$23.33 R$120

176.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$5.89 R$30.17

97.79%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$1.73 R$8.89

88.44%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$1.13 R$5.80

120.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.61 R$3.10

173.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$1.97 R$10.08

76.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$2.89 R$14.81

23.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.08 R$5.53

9.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.54 R$7.92

26.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.14 R$5.86

36.84%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$1.71 R$8.76

134.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.45

$7.34 R$37.65

80.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$3.87 R$19.82

117.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$6.94 R$35.56

162.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$2.02 R$10.35

14.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.29 R$6.59

34.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$0.65 R$3.35

196.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.28

$0.99 R$5.10

166.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.01 R$5.17

88.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$0.88 R$4.53

139.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.54 R$2.79

166.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.69 R$3.52

15.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$2.29 R$11.75

206.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$5.95 R$30.50

-0.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.21 R$6.20

12.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.00 R$10.23

7.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.91 R$4.65

161.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.86

$41.41 R$212

11.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$1.63 R$8.38

157.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$1.20 R$6.16

-8.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$6.73 R$34.50

156.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.22 R$6.24

84.43%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$23.0K R$118.0K

49.71%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$32.4K R$165.9K

28.61%

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

$171 €147

$92.7 R$475

84.32%

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

$19.01 €16.39

$9.82 R$50.4

93.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.56

$17.05 R$87.4

101.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.81

$21.99 R$113

125.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.82

$26.61 R$136

-26.68%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$6.40 R$32.79

57.81%

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

$699 €603

$179 R$917

291.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$5,215 R$26.7K

240.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$57.6 R$295

81.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.36

$34.69 R$178

38.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$85.4 R$438

19.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$79.4 R$407

61.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,433

$302 R$1,546

450.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$141 R$724

769.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,514

$617 R$3,162

372.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,745

$272 R$1,396

643.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,010

$1,260 R$6,462

544.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,997

$892 R$4,572

419.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$455 R$2,330

256.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

-62.20%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Aracaju: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $302 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: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $23.00 in Aracaju for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $162 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 208% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $736 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $302 in Aracaju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $179 in Aracaju. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 73% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $736 in Aracaju versus $2,268 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 208% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.