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: $2,243 in Lisbon versus $864 in Joao Pessoa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,353 in Joao Pessoa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,387 in Lisbon versus $1,842 in Joao Pessoa.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 160% more expensive than Joao Pessoa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 67% above, Joao Pessoa is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.73 €13.42

$5.52 R$27.43

184.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 €53.9

$26.51 R$132

138.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €8.80

$6.28 R$31.21

64.33%

Cappuccino

$2.81 €2.40

$1.67 R$8.32

68.26%

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

$2.33 €1.99

$0.99 R$4.94

135.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.61 R$3.02

147.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 €2.87

$1.76 R$8.74

91.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.34

$3.21 R$15.97

21.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.92

$1.13 R$5.61

-4.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.49

$1.56 R$7.73

12.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.29 R$6.42

35.66%

Eggs

$3.10 €2.64

$2.46 R$12.20

26.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.28 €11.33

$6.00 R$29.81

121.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 €6.70

$4.10 R$20.37

91.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.05 €13.69

$6.46 R$32.12

148.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$2.64 R$13.12

-9.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.47

$0.86 R$4.29

100.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$0.84 R$4.19

134.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.17

$1.03 R$5.10

147.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.17 R$5.84

52.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$0.88 R$4.36

123.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 €1.67

$0.62 R$3.06

216.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.71

$0.81 R$4.02

3.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.82

$2.68 R$13.33

154.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.85 €4.99

$9.11 R$45.28

-35.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.46 R$7.27

-5.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 €2.49

$2.97 R$14.76

-1.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €1.95

$0.92 R$4.55

148.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.88 €39.99

$63.7 R$316

-26.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 €3.51

$1.84 R$9.17

123.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.69

$0.62 R$3.08

30.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.94 €16.16

$2.82 R$14.01

571.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.78

$1.09 R$5.40

91.74%

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

$35.1K €30.0K

$19.1K R$95.0K

83.70%

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

$39.7K €33.9K

$28.3K R$140.7K

40.32%

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

$150 €128

$75.5 R$375

98.22%

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

$20.49 €17.48

$21.83 R$108

-6.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.15 €33.40

$19.17 R$95.3

104.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.35

$27.68 R$138

79.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.47 €15.76

$26.95 R$134

-31.47%

Cinema Ticket

$9.20 €7.84

$7.13 R$35.44

29.03%

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

$624 €533

$315 R$1,567

98.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K €13.6K

$6,143 R$30.5K

158.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €87.2

$42.06 R$209

142.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 €34.87

$56.0 R$278

-26.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 €81.6

$111 R$554

-14.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €103

$69.6 R$346

74.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 €1,410

$218 R$1,082

659.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 €1,051

$212 R$1,055

480.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,043 €2,596

$489 R$2,431

522.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,059 €1,756

$436 R$2,167

372.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,879 €6,720

$2,447 R$12.2K

221.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,303 €3,671

$1,210 R$6,015

255.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,566 €1,336

$521 R$2,587

200.89%

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: April 21, 2026

Last update for Joao Pessoa: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,653 in Lisbon and $218 in Joao Pessoa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 201% 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 in Lisbon vs $27 in Joao Pessoa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $270 vs $176 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 160% in total monthly costs ($2,243 vs $864 including rent). Joao Pessoa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 201% more on average, 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: $1,653 in Lisbon versus $218 in Joao Pessoa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $624 in Lisbon versus $315 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 $864 in Joao Pessoa versus $2,243 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 160% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.