Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Natal Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Natal

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $725 in Natal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,187 in Natal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $1,649 in Natal.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 213% more expensive than in Natal, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Natal is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$5.56 R$28.48

215.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$37.52 R$192

71.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$7.14 R$36.60

63.17%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$2.07 R$10.62

57.49%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$1.03 R$5.27

141.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.64 R$3.27

160.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$1.59 R$8.13

118.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$2.38 R$12.20

50.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.23 R$6.31

-4.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.17 R$5.98

66.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.05 R$5.40

48.57%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$1.89 R$9.67

112.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$7.02 R$35.97

89.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$4.15 R$21.26

102.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$7.91 R$40.54

130.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.39 R$7.12

66.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$0.95 R$4.87

82.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$0.78 R$3.98

147.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.20 R$6.15

120.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.03 R$5.28

84.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.08 R$5.54

95.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.50 R$2.58

188.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.61 R$3.11

31.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$1.73 R$8.87

305.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$7.62 R$39.06

-22.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.15 R$5.88

18.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.54 R$7.88

39.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.94 R$4.81

153.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

$29.02 R$149

59.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$0.93 R$4.77

350.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$0.59 R$3.04

86.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$3.40 R$17.42

407.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.23 R$6.29

82.93%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$22.9K R$117.4K

50.45%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$32.8K R$168.3K

26.80%

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

$171 €147

$53.4 R$274

220.30%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$13.18 R$67.5

44.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$17.19 R$88.1

99.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$21.81 R$112

127.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$31.00 R$159

-37.06%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$7.69 R$39.43

31.34%

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

$699 €603

$110 R$566

533.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$4,631 R$23.7K

283.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$44.21 R$227

136.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$47.88 R$245

0.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$75.1 R$385

35.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$75.1 R$385

70.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$462 R$2,371

259.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$170 R$873

621.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$563 R$2,886

417.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$357 R$1,829

467.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$1,360 R$6,970

497.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$852 R$4,368

443.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$404 R$2,074

300.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

11.67

-67.61%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Natal: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $462 in Natal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 300% 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 $38.00 in Natal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $162 per month, with Natal 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 Natal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Natal differ by about 213% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $725 including rent). Natal is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 300% 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 $462 in Natal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $110 in Natal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 74% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $725 in Natal versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Natal but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Natal 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 Natal 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 Natal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 213% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.