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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $762 in Montes Claros.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,189 in Montes Claros.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,616 in Montes Claros.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 190% more expensive than Montes Claros, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Montes Claros is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.81

$3.09 R$15.90

414.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €56.2

$27.52 R$142

135.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.12

$6.14 R$31.65

71.17%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.49

$1.73 R$8.90

65.90%

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

$2.24 €1.95

$1.11 R$5.72

101.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.66 R$3.38

127.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.03

$1.28 R$6.58

172.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.37

$2.72 R$14.02

42.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.95 R$4.89

20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.52

$1.46 R$7.52

19.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.52

$1.17 R$6.03

50.43%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.79

$2.02 R$10.41

59.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.71

$8.42 R$43.35

60.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.87

$3.73 R$19.23

112.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.77

$7.35 R$37.84

115.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €2.00

$2.08 R$10.69

11.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.48

$1.32 R$6.79

28.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.74

$1.19 R$6.11

68.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.13

$1.49 R$7.69

65.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.60

$1.14 R$5.89

61.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.74

$1.10 R$5.67

81.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.67

$0.75 R$3.88

157.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.61 R$3.16

29.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.73

$2.18 R$11.20

203.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.97

$7.89 R$40.66

-27.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.23 R$6.33

11.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.58

$2.06 R$10.61

44.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.06

$0.69 R$3.54

243.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.53

$38.32 R$197

18.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.72

$1.05 R$5.43

308.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.70 R$3.61

17.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.88

$6.29 R$32.39

190.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.79

$1.00 R$5.15

106.00%

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

$34.3K €29.7K

$20.8K R$107.1K

64.80%

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

$39.3K €34.1K

$28.0K R$144.4K

40.21%

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

$148 €128

$60.0 R$309

146.37%

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

$20.52 €17.80

$13.46 R$69.3

52.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.37

$18.05 R$93.0

119.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.51

$20.17 R$104

137.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.42

$21.66 R$112

-12.65%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.97

$6.35 R$32.72

44.57%

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

$614 €533

$273 R$1,404

125.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.9K

$6,551 R$33.7K

144.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.8

$49.88 R$257

109.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.49

$42.73 R$220

-1.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €81.5

$76.4 R$394

23.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €104

$65.1 R$335

83.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,412

$311 R$1,603

423.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,089

$212 R$1,093

491.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,629

$592 R$3,050

411.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,753

$431 R$2,221

368.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,767

$1,736 R$8,945

349.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,707

$998 R$5,140

328.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,391

$402 R$2,073

298.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

10.92

-65.11%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Montes Claros: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $311 in Montes Claros. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 298% 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 $28.00 in Montes Claros for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $175 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 190% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $762 including rent). Montes Claros is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 298% 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 $311 in Montes Claros. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $273 in Montes Claros. 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 $762 in Montes Claros versus $2,210 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 190% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.