Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Castelo Branco

For one person, living is cheaper in Castelo Branco: $1,100 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
Learn more

Lisbon Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Castelo Branco
Learn more

Castelo Branco Living Index

Jump to prices

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Castelo Branco

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,100

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Castelo Branco

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 Castelo Branco actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,223 in Lisbon versus $1,100 in Castelo Branco.

Lisbon $2,223
Castelo Branco $1,100

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,271 in Lisbon versus $1,666 in Castelo Branco.

Lisbon $3,271
Castelo Branco $1,666

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,319 in Lisbon versus $2,233 in Castelo Branco.

Lisbon $4,319
Castelo Branco $2,233

Living in Lisbon is roughly 102% more expensive than in Castelo Branco, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Castelo Branco is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.50 €14.67

$11.29 €10.05

46.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 €54.5

$39.12 €34.80

56.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.27 €10.03

$9.62 €8.56

17.15%

Cappuccino

$3.06 €2.72

$1.25 €1.11

144.80%

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

$2.26 €2.01

$1.41 €1.25

60.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.54

$1.26 €1.12

37.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 €3.02

$1.09 €0.97

211.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 €3.02

$2.20 €1.96

54.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 €1.00

$1.17 €1.04

-4.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.65

$1.30 €1.16

43.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 €1.36

$1.45 €1.29

5.52%

Eggs

$3.96 €3.53

$3.87 €3.44

2.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.76 €11.35

$8.76 €7.79

45.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.02

$5.80 €5.16

36.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.97 €15.09

$8.58 €7.63

97.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 €2.02

$2.11 €1.88

7.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

$1.31 €1.17

33.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

$1.75 €1.56

5.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.57 €2.28

$2.30 €2.05

11.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.65

$1.65 €1.47

12.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 €1.80

$1.45 €1.29

39.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.28

$1.14 €1.02

26.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.73

$0.81 €0.72

1.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.56 €5.83

$5.97 €5.31

9.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.62 €5.00

$3.39 €3.01

65.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 €1.14

$1.17 €1.04

9.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 €1.84

$1.95 €1.73

6.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 €2.09

$1.25 €1.11

88.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.18 €39.30

$22.20 €19.75

99.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 €3.55

$2.25 €2.00

77.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 €0.97

$0.74 €0.66

47.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.64 €14.81

$16.67 €14.83

-0.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.03

$2.04 €1.82

11.76%

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

$33.7K €30.0K

$33.5K €29.8K

0.50%

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

$39.3K €35.0K

$40.5K €36.0K

-2.94%

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

$167 €149

$120 €106

39.98%

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

$18.80 €16.72

$19.03 €16.92

-1.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.09 €29.43

$31.99 €28.45

3.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.01 €40.93

$39.32 €34.97

17.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.19 €17.07

Cinema Ticket

$9.84 €8.75

$6.70 €5.96

46.87%

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

$677 €602

$678 €603

-0.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K €15.1K

-0.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €90.1

$78.7 €70.0

28.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 €40.70

$44.71 €39.77

2.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100.0 €88.9

$82.1 €73.0

21.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €109

$67.6 €60.2

81.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 €1,436

$458 €407

252.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 €1,065

$363 €323

229.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,862 €2,545

$796 €708

259.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,990 €1,770

$605 €538

228.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,577 €6,740

$1,574 €1,400

381.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,307 €3,831

$1,322 €1,176

225.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,588 €1,412

$1,617 €1,438

-1.78%

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 11, 2026

Last update for Castelo Branco: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9%

Castelo Branco

$363 33% 69.7% $834

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$269 12.1%

Castelo Branco

$203 18.4% 24.8% $67

Eating Out

Lisbon

$242 10.9%

Castelo Branco

$155 14.1% 36.1% $88

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$219 9.9%

Castelo Branco

$171 15.5% 22.2% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Castelo Branco

$123 11.2% 26.1% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$66 3%

Castelo Branco

$53 4.8% 19.7% $13

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.8%

Castelo Branco

$33 3% 47.3% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,614 in Lisbon and $458 in Castelo Branco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Castelo Branco pays 2% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $61.0 in Lisbon vs $39.00 in Castelo Branco for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $203 per month, with Castelo Branco cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇵🇹 Castelo Branco

🕒 Local time

15:04 3:04 PM

Same time as Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

52,291

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lisbon Castelo Branco 190 km

From you

Lisbon
Castelo Branco

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 Castelo Branco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Castelo Branco is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 102% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 2% lower in Castelo Branco. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,614 in Lisbon versus $458 in Castelo Branco. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,223 per month in Lisbon versus $1,100 in Castelo Branco – a 102% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Castelo Branco runs roughly 99% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,100 in Castelo Branco versus $2,223 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Castelo Branco but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Castelo Branco the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Castelo Branco 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 Castelo Branco 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 Castelo Branco gentler on the wallet – expenses run 102% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.