Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Caruaru Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Caruaru

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $584 in Caruaru.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $958 in Caruaru.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $1,333 in Caruaru.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 290% more expensive than in Caruaru, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Caruaru is 56% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.74

$4.50 R$23.03

250.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.3

$27.43 R$140

131.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.11

$6.45 R$33.01

62.02%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.54

$1.64 R$8.40

77.44%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$0.99 R$5.05

131.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.31

$0.34 R$1.76

341.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.11

$1.09 R$5.59

226.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.46

$1.41 R$7.22

180.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.13 R$5.77

-4.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.95 R$4.86

85.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.48

$0.92 R$4.71

84.78%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.83

$2.50 R$12.80

30.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.55

$3.51 R$17.98

277.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.72

$2.64 R$13.48

191.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.75

$5.95 R$30.44

165.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.99

$1.23 R$6.27

85.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.44

$0.86 R$4.41

93.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.76

$0.79 R$4.05

155.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.16

$1.03 R$5.26

139.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.56

$0.79 R$4.05

126.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.80

$0.87 R$4.47

137.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.72

$0.38 R$1.93

418.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.73

$0.56 R$2.84

48.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.71

$2.69 R$13.74

143.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.85

$7.79 R$39.84

-28.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.16

$1.45 R$7.41

-8.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.62

$2.87 R$14.69

4.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.98

$0.79 R$4.04

187.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.41

$23.88 R$122

94.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.69

$1.84 R$9.42

129.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.63 R$3.22

34.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.41

$2.81 R$14.36

570.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.76

$0.78 R$3.97

158.97%

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

$35.0K €30.5K

$19.1K R$97.9K

82.66%

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

$39.6K €34.6K

$28.6K R$146.4K

38.58%

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

$148 €129

$50.5 R$259

192.81%

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

$20.52 €17.89

$7.37 R$37.72

178.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.46

$8.84 R$45.24

347.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €42.00

$13.63 R$69.7

253.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €16.03

$27.06 R$138

-32.04%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.93

$6.62 R$33.87

37.46%

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

$615 €536

$98.7 R$505

523.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.2K

$6,131 R$31.4K

165.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.6

$35.53 R$182

185.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.69

$45.01 R$230

-6.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €80.5

$112 R$575

-17.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$59.3 R$303

105.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,405

$149 R$761

984.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,093

$117 R$598

973.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,676

$325 R$1,661

845.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,776

$234 R$1,200

768.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,757

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,737

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,396

$258 R$1,318

522.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

-61.90%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Last update for Caruaru: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $149 in Caruaru. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 522% 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 $27.00 in Caruaru for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $136 per month, with Caruaru 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 Caruaru: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Caruaru differ by about 290% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $584 including rent). Caruaru is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 522% 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: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $149 in Caruaru. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $98.7 in Caruaru. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 95% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $584 in Caruaru versus $2,280 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Caruaru but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Caruaru 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 Caruaru 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 Caruaru gentler on the wallet – expenses run 290% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.