Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Contenda Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Contenda

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,210 per month in Lisbon vs $787 in Contenda, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,289 per month in Lisbon vs $1,194 in Contenda, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,369 per month in Lisbon vs $1,600 in Contenda, rent included.

Lisbon costs about 181% more than Contenda, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Lisbon sits 65% above the global median, while Contenda is 41% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.71 €13.76

$3.62 R$18.32

333.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €55.1

$10.82 R$54.8

480.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.53 €9.23

$6.20 R$31.37

69.84%

Cappuccino

$2.88 €2.53

$2.01 R$10.16

43.28%

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

$2.25 €1.97

$1.17 R$5.90

92.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 €1.36

$0.52 R$2.65

200.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 €2.97

$1.78 R$8.99

90.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 €3.41

$1.78 R$8.99

119.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.95

$0.90 R$4.54

20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.47 R$7.42

17.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.22 R$6.15

44.26%

Eggs

$3.16 €2.77

$2.22 R$11.22

42.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.64

$9.32 R$47.13

42.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.87 €6.89

$3.41 R$17.24

130.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.84 €13.88

$7.24 R$36.63

118.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 €2.11

$2.29 R$11.56

4.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.49

$1.05 R$5.31

61.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.11 R$5.60

82.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.52 €2.21

$1.25 R$6.30

101.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.63

$0.92 R$4.68

102.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 €1.81

$1.07 R$5.41

92.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 €1.75

$0.75 R$3.81

166.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 €0.68

$0.74 R$3.74

5.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.65 €5.82

$2.22 R$11.22

199.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €5.06

$3.86 R$19.51

49.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.48 R$7.50

-6.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.64

$1.83 R$9.27

65.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.04

$0.93 R$4.71

150.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.45 €39.82

$38.90 R$197

16.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.57

$1.06 R$5.34

284.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 €0.70

$0.82 R$4.13

-2.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.65 €16.34

$7.45 R$37.69

150.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.75

$1.09 R$5.53

83.49%

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

$35.4K €31.0K

$16.3K R$82.2K

117.69%

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

$39.1K €34.2K

$19.6K R$98.9K

99.74%

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

$150 €132

$64.5 R$326

132.71%

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

$20.55 €18.01

$7.30 R$36.93

181.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.45 €34.56

$18.33 R$92.7

115.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.06 €42.11

$22.90 R$116

109.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.70 €16.38

$21.47 R$109

-12.90%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 €8.15

$7.42 R$37.52

25.34%

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

$628 €550

$458 R$2,319

36.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$9,404 R$47.6K

74.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €89.0

$66.9 R$338

51.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.55 €36.40

$64.7 R$327

-35.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.5 €81.0

$83.6 R$423

10.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €107

$60.1 R$304

104.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,426

$318 R$1,610

411.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 €1,080

$215 R$1,089

472.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,126 €2,739

$576 R$2,911

443.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,058 €1,803

$431 R$2,182

377.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,762 €6,801

$1,537 R$7,772

405.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,386 €3,843

$1,119 R$5,662

291.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,621 €1,420

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

12.12

-68.56%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 21, 2026

Last update for Contenda: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,628 in Lisbon versus $318 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 $63.0 in Lisbon versus $11.00 in Contenda. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $269 vs $168 – making Contenda the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Lisbon costs about 181% more than Contenda, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,315 per month in Lisbon and $1,181 in Contenda. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

Kindergarten costs $628 per month in Lisbon and $458 in Contenda. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 60% more in Lisbon, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Contenda, where all-in costs run around $787, than in Lisbon at $2,210. In Contenda it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Contenda costs $787 versus $2,210 in Lisbon. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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.

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.