Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Cotia Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Cotia

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,296 per month in Lisbon vs $886 in Cotia, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,376 per month in Lisbon vs $1,476 in Cotia, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,457 per month in Lisbon vs $2,066 in Cotia, rent included.

Lisbon costs about 159% more than Cotia, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Lisbon sits 68% above the global median, while Cotia is 35% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.31

$6.75 R$34.73

160.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.7

$38.65 R$199

62.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.08

$8.16 R$41.98

41.91%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.52 R$12.96

23.02%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$1.30 R$6.70

91.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$1.15 R$5.90

51.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$2.99 R$15.35

16.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$4.63 R$23.79

-25.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.14 R$5.87

0.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.82 R$9.34

4.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.20 R$6.15

25.00%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$2.66 R$13.69

49.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.57

$11.79 R$60.6

12.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.97

$4.55 R$23.41

76.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.70

$10.46 R$53.8

72.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$2.78 R$14.30

-15.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.52

$1.72 R$8.84

1.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$1.61 R$8.27

14.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$1.75 R$9.00

45.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.60

$1.31 R$6.73

40.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$1.24 R$6.36

69.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.29

$0.90 R$4.61

65.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.73 R$3.76

12.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.18

$2.67 R$13.74

165.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.14

$8.55 R$43.94

-30.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.14

$1.68 R$8.62

-22.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.85

$2.56 R$13.14

-16.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$0.85 R$4.38

177.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.57

$43.83 R$225

6.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$1.29 R$6.63

216.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$1.01 R$5.20

12.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.88

$9.15 R$47.07

86.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.28 R$6.57

80.47%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$23.0K R$118.2K

48.51%

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

$41.4K €36.0K

$32.3K R$166.1K

28.11%

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

$169 €147

$44.54 R$229

278.42%

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

$19.33 €16.82

$14.73 R$75.7

31.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.17

$17.88 R$92.0

87.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.50

$25.43 R$131

92.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.91

$28.49 R$147

-31.80%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.33

$7.92 R$40.73

20.83%

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

$696 €606

$427 R$2,198

62.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$7,587 R$39.0K

128.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.6

$54.4 R$280

93.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.56

$56.4 R$290

-15.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.5

$94.8 R$487

6.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$82.5 R$424

50.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,446

$335 R$1,722

396.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,085

$230 R$1,181

442.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,580

$644 R$3,310

360.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,783

$454 R$2,333

351.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,818

$1,810 R$9,305

332.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,885

$1,069 R$5,498

317.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,420

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

11.12

-66.01%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Cotia: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,662 in Lisbon versus $335 in Cotia. 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 $39.00 in Cotia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $277 vs $223 – making Cotia 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 Cotia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon costs about 159% more than Cotia, 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 $3,444 per month in Lisbon and $1,330 in Cotia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cotia, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63.0 in Lisbon and $39.00 in Cotia. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,296 in Lisbon and $886 in Cotia. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Cotia, where all-in costs run around $886, than in Lisbon at $2,296. In Cotia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cotia costs $886 versus $2,296 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 Cotia. 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.