Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Contenda

For one person, living is cheaper in Contenda: $870 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $16,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,223
/mo nomad
Contenda
🇧🇷 Brazil
$870
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Contenda

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

A single person spends $2,223 per month in Lisbon vs $870 in Contenda, rent included.

  • Lisbon $2,223
  • Contenda $870

A couple spends around $3,271 per month in Lisbon vs $1,325 in Contenda, rent included.

  • Lisbon $3,271
  • Contenda $1,325

A family of three spends $4,319 per month in Lisbon vs $1,780 in Contenda, rent included.

  • Lisbon $4,319
  • Contenda $1,780

Lisbon costs about 156% more than Contenda, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Lisbon sits 65% above the global median, while Contenda is 36% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Contenda
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.50 €14.73
$3.92 R$19.65
320.92%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.3 €54.7
$11.83 R$59.4
417.75%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.27 €10.07
$8.16 R$40.93
38.11%
Cappuccino
$3.06 €2.73
$2.40 R$12.05
27.50%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 €2.02
$1.38 R$6.94
63.77%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.73 €1.55
$0.61 R$3.07
183.61%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.39 €3.03
$1.96 R$9.82
72.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.40 €3.03
$1.96 R$9.83
73.47%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Contenda
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 €1.00
$1.07 R$5.36
4.67%
White Bread (500g)
$1.86 €1.66
$1.63 R$8.17
14.11%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.53 €1.37
$1.34 R$6.71
14.18%
Eggs
$3.96 €3.54
$2.57 R$12.88
54.09%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.76 €11.40
$9.99 R$50.1
27.73%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.90 €7.05
$3.96 R$19.86
99.49%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.97 €15.15
$8.05 R$40.41
110.81%
Apples (1kg)
$2.27 €2.02
$2.44 R$12.25
-6.97%
Banana (1kg)
$1.75 €1.56
$1.19 R$5.97
47.06%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.85 €1.65
$1.18 R$5.90
56.78%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.57 €2.29
$1.38 R$6.94
86.23%
Potato (1kg)
$1.86 €1.66
$0.97 R$4.89
91.75%
Onion (1kg)
$2.02 €1.81
$0.93 R$4.68
117.20%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.44 €1.29
$0.82 R$4.11
75.61%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.82 €0.73
$0.72 R$3.60
13.89%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.56 €5.86
$3.02 R$15.16
117.22%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.62 €5.02
$3.96 R$19.86
41.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.28 €1.14
$1.48 R$7.40
-13.51%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.07 €1.85
$2.02 R$10.13
2.48%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Contenda
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.35 €2.10
$0.99 R$4.98
137.37%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.18 €39.46
$43.35 R$218
1.91%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.99 €3.56
$1.19 R$5.96
235.29%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.09 €0.97
$1.03 R$5.16
5.83%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.64 €14.87
$10.19 R$51.1
63.30%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.28 €2.04
$1.22 R$6.12
86.89%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.7K €30.1K
$18.3K R$91.7K
84.29%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.3K €35.1K
$21.8K R$109.4K
80.13%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Contenda
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$167 €150
$84.0 R$422
99.30%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.80 €16.79
$8.20 R$41.16
129.27%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.09 €29.56
$20.25 R$102
63.41%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Contenda
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.01 €41.10
$26.41 R$133
74.21%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.19 €17.14
$27.34 R$137
-29.81%
Cinema Ticket
$9.84 €8.79
$8.14 R$40.85
20.88%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Contenda
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$677 €605
$284 R$1,425
138.52%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.9K €15.1K
$11.1K R$55.7K
52.41%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Contenda
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$101 €90.4
$66.3 R$332
52.79%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.76 €40.87
$71.0 R$356
-35.58%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$100.0 €89.3
$114 R$573
-12.49%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$123 €110
$70.9 R$356
73.22%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Contenda
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,614 €1,441
$343 R$1,719
371.18%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,197 €1,069
$226 R$1,133
430.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,862 €2,556
$743 R$3,725
285.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,990 €1,778
$424 R$2,129
369.11%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,577 €6,768
$1,493 R$7,488
407.66%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,307 €3,847
$1,359 R$6,819
216.92%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Contenda
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,588 €1,418
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
10.61
-63.71%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Last update for Contenda: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Contenda
$226 81.1% $971
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$269
Contenda
$183 31.9% $86
Eating Out
Lisbon
$242
Contenda
$106 56.1% $136
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$219
Contenda
$113 48.7% $107
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Contenda
$145 12.8% $21
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$66
Contenda
$43 35% $23
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Contenda
$54 14.8% $9.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,614 in Lisbon versus $343 in Contenda. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Lisbon versus $12.00 in Contenda. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $269 vs $183 – making Contenda the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇧🇷 Contenda
🕒 Local time
19:27 7:27 PM
15:27 3:27 PM
4 h behind Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
19,128
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 0.893 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 5.02 BRL (1 BRL = 0.199 USD). 1 EUR = 5.62 BRL (1 BRL = 0.178 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Contenda 8,300 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Contenda

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 Contenda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Lisbon or Contenda?
Lisbon costs about 156% more than Contenda, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Lisbon and in Contenda?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,335 per month in Lisbon and $1,304 in Contenda. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Lisbon or Contenda?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Contenda, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do childcare costs compare in Lisbon and in Contenda?
Kindergarten costs $677 per month in Lisbon and $284 in Contenda. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Lisbon or in Contenda?
Groceries cost about 47% more in Lisbon, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Lisbon or in Contenda?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Contenda, where all-in costs run around $870, than in Lisbon at $2,223. In Contenda it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Lisbon or Contenda?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Contenda costs $870 versus $2,223 in Lisbon. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Lisbon compared to Contenda?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Should I move to Lisbon or to Contenda?
If budget matters most, go with Contenda. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lisbon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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