Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Brades

For one person, living is cheaper in Brades: $923 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $15,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Brades

🇲🇸 Montserrat

$923

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Brades

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Brades actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $923 in Brades.

Lisbon $2,210
Brades $923

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $2,139 in Brades.

Lisbon $3,275
Brades $2,139

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $3,355 in Brades.

Lisbon $4,341
Brades $3,355

Living in Lisbon is roughly 140% more expensive than in Brades, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 62% above, Brades is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.94

$18.72 EC$50.5

-11.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.4

$47.37 EC$128

30.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.19

$12.14 EC$32.78

-6.43%

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.66

$7.14 EC$19.27

-58.40%

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

$2.29 €2.05

$2.80 EC$7.55

-18.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.56

$1.58 EC$4.26

10.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.05

$2.93 EC$7.90

16.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.97

$4.53 EC$12.22

-26.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.04

$3.47 EC$9.37

-66.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.71

$2.95 EC$7.96

-35.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.36

Eggs

$4.02 €3.61

$7.07 EC$19.08

-43.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.61

$5.76 EC$15.54

124.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.98

$9.11 EC$24.59

-14.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.94

$22.89 EC$61.8

-22.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.07

$3.34 EC$9.03

-31.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.55

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.67

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.32

$4.38 EC$11.82

-40.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.63

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.77

$2.25 EC$6.07

-12.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

$5.21 EC$14.06

-71.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.91

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.03

$22.17 EC$59.9

-74.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.92

$4.51 EC$12.19

-52.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.09

$1.89 EC$5.11

23.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.09

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.45

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

$4.70 EC$12.68

-77.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.77

$1.90 EC$5.12

766.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.97

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

$34.2K €30.7K

$22.2K EC$60.0K

53.87%

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

$38.7K €34.7K

$15.0K EC$40.4K

158.65%

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

$161 €145

$92.8 EC$250

73.80%

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

$18.41 €16.52

$40.24 EC$109

-54.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.37

$48.18 EC$130

-32.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €39.97

$56.4 EC$152

-21.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.14

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.61

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

$668 €599

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.5

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.90

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.4

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,443

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,068

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,523

$1,296 EC$3,499

117.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,806

$1,280 EC$3,455

57.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,034

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,106

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,413

$1,320 EC$3,563

19.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Brades: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Brades

–

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Brades

–

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

Brades

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Brades

–

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Brades

–

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Brades

–

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Brades

–

Cost Breakdown

Lisbon pays 19% 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: $62 in Lisbon vs $47 in Brades. Groceries flip the comparison at $272 vs $341, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇲🇸 Brades

🕒 Local time

12:41 12:41 PM

08:41 8:41 AM

4 h behind Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

400

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

East Caribbean Dollar XCD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

1 XCD = 0.37 USD

1 XCD = 0.332 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XCD, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.897 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

East Caribbean Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 2.7 XCD (1 XCD = 0.37 USD). 1 EUR = 3.01 XCD (1 XCD = 0.332 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lisbon Brades 5,670 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Brades

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

Lisbon vs Brades: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brades wins on cost – living expenses run 58% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Brades the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 19% higher in Lisbon, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

All in, you’ll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $923 in Brades – Brades is about 58% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 20% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Brades is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Brades are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Brades wins on affordability, Lisbon on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.