Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Joao Pessoa Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Joao Pessoa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $844 in Joao Pessoa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,359 in Joao Pessoa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $1,874 in Joao Pessoa.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 170% more expensive than in Joao Pessoa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Joao Pessoa is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.67

$5.27 R$26.74

198.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.1

$27.19 R$138

133.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.07

$6.12 R$31.06

70.75%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.53

$1.61 R$8.18

80.75%

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

$2.29 €1.99

$0.97 R$4.94

136.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.57 R$2.88

163.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$1.82 R$9.24

95.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.44

$3.15 R$16.00

25.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.17 R$5.94

-7.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.50 R$7.59

17.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$1.33 R$6.76

27.82%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.82

$2.56 R$12.99

26.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.49

$6.19 R$31.39

114.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.68

$3.94 R$19.98

95.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.68

$6.56 R$33.31

140.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.98

$2.58 R$13.08

-11.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.44

$0.89 R$4.53

86.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$0.77 R$3.93

162.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.15

$0.99 R$5.00

149.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$1.24 R$6.28

44.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$0.89 R$4.50

132.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$0.58 R$2.94

239.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$0.76 R$3.86

9.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.69

$2.66 R$13.51

146.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.83

$8.55 R$43.39

-34.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$1.39 R$7.06

-4.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.61

$2.95 R$14.98

2.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$0.92 R$4.69

146.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.21

$63.7 R$323

-27.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.67

$1.84 R$9.33

129.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.62 R$3.15

37.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.33

$2.82 R$14.30

567.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.04 R$5.29

94.23%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$19.1K R$97.0K

82.95%

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

$39.6K €34.4K

$28.4K R$143.9K

39.78%

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

$148 €128

$75.2 R$382

96.77%

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

$20.52 €17.80

$21.44 R$109

-4.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.29

$19.49 R$98.9

102.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.79

$27.77 R$141

73.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.95

$26.78 R$136

-31.33%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.89

$7.14 R$36.24

27.45%

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

$615 €533

$322 R$1,636

90.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$6,236 R$31.6K

161.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.1

$42.79 R$217

137.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.51

$56.7 R$288

-25.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €80.1

$110 R$560

-16.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$68.7 R$349

77.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,398

$221 R$1,120

630.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,088

$215 R$1,091

483.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,663

$498 R$2,527

516.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,767

$441 R$2,237

362.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,724

$2,395 R$12.2K

223.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,718

$1,179 R$5,981

263.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,390

$495 R$2,511

223.66%

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 Joao Pessoa: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $221 in Joao Pessoa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 224% 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 Joao Pessoa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $173 per month, with Joao Pessoa 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 Joao Pessoa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Joao Pessoa differ by about 170% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $844 including rent). Joao Pessoa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 224% 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 $221 in Joao Pessoa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $322 in Joao Pessoa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 54% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $844 in Joao Pessoa versus $2,280 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Joao Pessoa but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Joao Pessoa 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 Joao Pessoa 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 Joao Pessoa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 170% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.