Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Caraguatatuba Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Caraguatatuba

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $821 in Caraguatatuba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $1,320 in Caraguatatuba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $1,819 in Caraguatatuba.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 180% more expensive than in Caraguatatuba, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Caraguatatuba is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$7.31 R$37.69

140.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$28.18 R$145

123.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$8.09 R$41.69

43.14%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.23 R$11.50

39.01%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$1.18 R$6.10

111.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.92 R$4.72

89.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$2.38 R$12.24

46.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$3.14 R$16.18

9.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$0.97 R$5.01

18.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.51 R$7.78

26.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.31 R$6.75

14.50%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$1.92 R$9.87

107.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$5.89 R$30.34

125.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$3.09 R$15.91

159.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

$7.64 R$39.34

136.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$2.08 R$10.70

12.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.76 R$9.08

-0.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$1.42 R$7.34

30.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$1.51 R$7.76

68.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$1.28 R$6.61

43.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$0.75 R$3.88

180.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$0.66 R$3.39

125.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.76 R$3.93

7.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$2.03 R$10.46

249.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$6.62 R$34.11

-10.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$1.47 R$7.57

-10.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.43 R$12.50

-12.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$0.95 R$4.91

148.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

$22.80 R$117

104.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$1.11 R$5.70

267.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.69 R$3.56

65.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

$3.48 R$17.90

391.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.27 R$6.55

81.89%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$14.9K R$76.8K

128.93%

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

$41.4K €36.1K

$29.0K R$149.6K

42.49%

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

$169 €147

$64.5 R$332

161.44%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$12.90 R$66.5

49.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$22.19 R$114

51.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

$20.94 R$108

133.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

$15.33 R$79.0

26.74%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$7.94 R$40.90

20.53%

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

$696 €607

$212 R$1,094

227.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$4,066 R$20.9K

326.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$54.2 R$279

94.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$55.4 R$285

-13.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$74.6 R$384

34.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$57.5 R$296

116.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

$415 R$2,140

300.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$226 R$1,165

451.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

$855 R$4,403

246.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

$520 R$2,680

293.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

$1,622 R$8,355

383.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

$1,130 R$5,822

295.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

$333 R$1,715

390.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

8.15

-53.62%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Caraguatatuba: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $415 in Caraguatatuba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 390% 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 $28.00 in Caraguatatuba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $171 per month, with Caraguatatuba 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 Caraguatatuba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Caraguatatuba is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 180% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 390% 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $415 in Caraguatatuba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 63% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Caraguatatuba – a meal for two runs $28.00 versus $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $821 in Caraguatatuba versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Caraguatatuba but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Caraguatatuba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Caraguatatuba is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lisbon, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Caraguatatuba 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 Caraguatatuba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 180% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.