Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Montes Claros Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Montes Claros

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $824 in Montes Claros.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,338 in Montes Claros.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $1,851 in Montes Claros.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 175% more expensive than in Montes Claros, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Montes Claros is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$3.45 R$17.68

408.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$31.12 R$160

107.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$7.17 R$36.73

62.48%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$1.99 R$10.20

63.82%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$1.21 R$6.21

105.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.79 R$4.07

111.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$1.45 R$7.44

139.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$3.00 R$15.36

19.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.09 R$5.59

8.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.63 R$8.33

19.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.23 R$6.32

26.83%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$2.15 R$11.00

86.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$8.78 R$45.01

51.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$4.06 R$20.80

107.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$8.24 R$42.25

121.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.90 R$9.76

22.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.30 R$6.69

33.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.15 R$5.90

67.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.40 R$7.16

88.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.12 R$5.72

69.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.01 R$5.16

108.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.77 R$3.95

87.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.84 R$4.31

-4.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$2.61 R$13.37

168.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$7.73 R$39.64

-23.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.41 R$7.22

-3.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.22 R$11.39

-3.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.81 R$4.15

193.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

$45.53 R$233

1.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$1.33 R$6.81

215.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$0.77 R$3.93

42.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$7.96 R$40.81

116.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.03 R$5.28

118.45%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$21.0K R$107.6K

64.16%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$34.0K R$174.2K

22.46%

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

$171 €147

$68.1 R$349

151.11%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$13.01 R$66.7

46.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$19.06 R$97.7

79.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$26.06 R$134

90.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$25.93 R$133

-24.76%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$7.84 R$40.17

28.83%

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

$699 €603

$298 R$1,530

134.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$6,604 R$33.9K

169.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$53.3 R$273

96.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$48.85 R$250

-1.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$92.4 R$473

10.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$70.0 R$359

83.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$346 R$1,774

380.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$234 R$1,200

424.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$648 R$3,320

350.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$464 R$2,377

336.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$1,578 R$8,089

415.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$1,017 R$5,213

355.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$394 R$2,022

310.48%

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 5, 2026

Last update for Montes Claros: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $346 in Montes Claros. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 310% 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: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $31.00 in Montes Claros for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $186 per month, with Montes Claros 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 Montes Claros: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Montes Claros differ by about 175% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $824 including rent). Montes Claros is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 310% 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $346 in Montes Claros. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $298 in Montes Claros. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 51% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $824 in Montes Claros versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montes Claros but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Montes Claros 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 Montes Claros 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 Montes Claros gentler on the wallet – expenses run 175% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.