Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Macaé Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Macaé

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $836 in Macaé.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,343 in Macaé.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,851 in Macaé.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 164% more expensive than Macaé, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Macaé is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$5.64 R$28.57

182.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$34.48 R$175

87.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$6.42 R$32.52

63.71%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$1.89 R$9.55

51.85%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$1.22 R$6.19

83.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.84 R$4.27

78.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$1.82 R$9.20

91.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$2.12 R$10.76

83.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.05 R$5.33

8.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.64 R$8.31

6.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.29 R$6.53

36.43%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.01 R$10.17

60.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$7.75 R$39.22

74.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$3.65 R$18.48

116.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$6.31 R$31.97

151.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.43 R$12.30

-4.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.23 R$6.25

38.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.15 R$5.84

74.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.38 R$7.01

78.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.11 R$5.61

65.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.11 R$5.63

80.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.68 R$3.46

183.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.46 R$2.34

71.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$1.99 R$10.08

232.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$6.03 R$30.56

-5.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$0.86 R$4.34

59.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.15 R$5.84

158.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.69 R$3.51

243.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.22

$74.7 R$378

-39.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$1.11 R$5.64

286.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.69 R$3.51

18.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$7.77 R$39.34

135.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.07 R$5.40

92.52%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$18.4K R$93.0K

86.70%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$27.6K R$139.8K

42.34%

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

$148 €127

$59.7 R$302

147.73%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$9.69 R$49.05

111.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.10

$18.73 R$94.8

111.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.19

$38.82 R$197

23.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$27.30 R$138

-30.70%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$6.26 R$31.69

46.65%

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

$614 €529

$535 R$2,710

14.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$6,559 R$33.2K

144.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$45.28 R$229

131.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.21

$29.29 R$148

43.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$72.2 R$365

30.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$60.8 R$308

96.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,401

$353 R$1,789

360.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$230 R$1,163

446.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$660 R$3,343

359.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,739

$502 R$2,541

302.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,715

$1,243 R$6,293

527.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,678

$784 R$3,972

444.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,380

$780 R$3,948

105.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

11.25

-66.13%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Macaé: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $353 in Macaé. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 106% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $34.00 in Macaé for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $164 per month, with Macaé 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 Macaé: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Macaé differ by about 164% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $836 including rent). Macaé is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 106% 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $353 in Macaé. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $535 in Macaé. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 64% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $836 in Macaé versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Macaé but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Macaé 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 Macaé 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 Macaé gentler on the wallet – expenses run 164% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.