Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Minas Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Minas

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $1,069 in Minas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,689 in Minas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $2,309 in Minas.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 112% more expensive than in Minas, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Minas is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.09

$15.23 UYU 613

15.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.5

$63.3 UYU 2,547

1.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.01

$13.97 UYU 562

-16.61%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.80

$4.37 UYU 176

-25.40%

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

$2.49 €2.14

$2.81 UYU 113

-11.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$1.97 UYU 79.3

-15.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$4.79 UYU 193

-27.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.07

$3.83 UYU 154

-6.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.32 UYU 53.0

-10.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.67

$2.80 UYU 113

-30.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.34

$1.82 UYU 73.2

-14.29%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.45

$4.92 UYU 198

-18.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.41

$14.02 UYU 564

-5.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.24

$11.39 UYU 458

-26.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.68

$12.00 UYU 483

51.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$2.85 UYU 115

-18.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$2.89 UYU 116

-40.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.71 UYU 68.6

12.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$3.09 UYU 124

-14.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.63

$2.03 UYU 81.7

-6.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$2.22 UYU 89.2

-4.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.43 UYU 57.5

0.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$1.98 UYU 79.8

-59.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.03

$5.49 UYU 221

27.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.09

$8.51 UYU 342

-30.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.17

$2.36 UYU 94.8

-42.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.80 UYU 113

-23.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.76 UYU 30.73

213.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.74

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.60

$1.84 UYU 74.0

127.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.94

$0.40 UYU 16.15

175.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.84

$10.55 UYU 424

63.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.93

$2.15 UYU 86.5

4.65%

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

$34.5K €29.6K

$27.2K UYU 1.1M

26.58%

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

$41.6K €35.8K

$37.7K UYU 1.5M

10.43%

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

$171 €147

$191 UYU 7,685

-10.55%

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

$19.01 €16.34

$17.49 UYU 704

8.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.48

$43.78 UYU 1,761

-21.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.69

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.77

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.68

$12.07 UYU 486

-16.32%

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

$699 €601

$603 UYU 24.2K

15.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$10.5K UYU 422.9K

69.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.9

$96.3 UYU 3,874

8.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.24

$55.6 UYU 2,234

-13.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.6

$121 UYU 4,852

-15.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €110

$134 UYU 5,380

-4.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,428

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,056

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,506

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,740

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €6,989

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,985

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,392

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

5.49

-31.15%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Minas: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $63.0 in Minas. Groceries flip the comparison at $281 vs $332, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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 Minas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Minas differ by about 112% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $1,069 including rent). Minas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,402 in Lisbon and $1,603 in Minas to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 18% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,268 per month in Lisbon versus $1,069 in Minas – a 112% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,069 in Minas versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Minas but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Minas 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 Minas 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 Minas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 112% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.