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Last update: Oct 2026
Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Natal
For one person, living is cheaper in Natal: $759 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $17,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Natal actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $759 in Natal.
Lisbon $2,210
Natal $759
Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $1,224 in Natal.
Lisbon $3,275
Natal $1,224
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $1,688 in Natal.
Lisbon $4,341
Natal $1,688
🌍
Living in Lisbon is roughly 191% more expensive than in Natal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 62% above, Natal is 44% below.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Natal
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65€14.95
$5.26R$28.11
216.54%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7€55.5
$35.65R$191
73.18%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$11.36€10.20
$7.14R$38.19
59.10%
Cappuccino
$2.97€2.67
$1.89R$10.10
57.14%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29€2.06
$0.98R$5.21
133.67%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74€1.56
$0.56R$2.99
210.71%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$3.40€3.06
$1.45R$7.74
134.48%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31€2.97
$2.17R$11.60
52.53%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Natal
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.16€1.04
$1.13R$6.04
2.65%
White Bread(500g)
$1.91€1.72
$1.11R$5.93
72.07%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.51€1.36
$0.99R$5.32
52.53%
Eggs
$4.02€3.61
$1.84R$9.84
118.48%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$12.94€11.62
$6.84R$36.56
89.18%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$7.77€6.98
$3.82R$20.43
103.40%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$17.76€15.95
$7.63R$40.82
132.77%
Apples(1kg)
$2.30€2.07
$1.34R$7.15
71.64%
Banana(1kg)
$1.73€1.56
$0.91R$4.86
90.11%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.86€1.67
$0.69R$3.69
169.57%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.59€2.33
$1.15R$6.14
125.22%
Potato(1kg)
$1.82€1.64
$0.98R$5.22
85.71%
Onion(1kg)
$1.97€1.77
$1.01R$5.39
95.05%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.47€1.32
$0.48R$2.59
206.25%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72€0.65
$0.59R$3.14
22.03%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58€5.91
$1.65R$8.83
298.79%
Wine(Bottle)
$5.61€5.04
$7.35R$39.32
-23.67%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36€1.22
$1.06R$5.64
28.30%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14€1.92
$1.46R$7.83
46.58%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Natal
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$2.33€2.10
$0.88R$4.69
164.77%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$44.68€40.14
$32.19R$172
38.80%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.85€3.46
$0.95R$5.08
305.26%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.07€0.96
$0.52R$2.76
105.77%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$16.46€14.79
$3.33R$17.82
394.29%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$2.20€1.98
$1.24R$6.61
77.42%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K€30.7K
$21.9KR$117.1K
56.08%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K€34.8K
$31.8KR$169.8K
21.90%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Natal
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$161€145
$50.6R$270
218.87%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41€16.54
$12.46R$66.6
47.75%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74€29.41
$16.79R$89.8
95.00%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Natal
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$44.55€40.02
$22.04R$118
102.13%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10€17.16
$29.77R$159
-35.84%
Cinema Ticket
$9.60€8.62
$7.25R$38.78
32.41%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Natal
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$668€600
$107R$572
524.64%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$17.6K€15.8K
$4,407R$23.6K
299.68%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Natal
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102€91.6
$42.96R$230
137.48%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46€39.94
$45.13R$241
-1.48%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$98.5€88.5
$70.7R$378
39.41%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124€111
$71.4R$382
73.30%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Natal
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,608€1,445
$437R$2,339
267.66%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,190€1,069
$243R$1,297
390.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,812€2,526
$714R$3,817
293.97%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$2,013€1,808
$446R$2,384
351.61%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$7,839€7,042
$1,349R$7,214
481.01%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$4,576€4,110
$930R$4,970
392.22%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Natal
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,575€1,415
$382R$2,040
312.79%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
3.85
11.67
-67.01%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026
Last update for Natal: October 25, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K 53.8%
Natal
$243 32% ↓ 79.6%$947
🛒Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272 12.3%
Natal
$154 20.2% ↓ 43.6%$119
🍽Eating Out
Lisbon
$243 11%
Natal
$104 13.7% ↓ 57.2%$139
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212 9.6%
Natal
$80 10.5% ↓ 62.4%$133
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166 7.5%
Natal
$104 13.6% ↓ 37.6%$62
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64 2.9%
Natal
$37 4.8% ↓ 42.7%$27
🚌Getting Around
Lisbon
$63 2.9%
Natal
$39 5.2% ↓ 37.9%$24
🏠Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$2K 46.4%
Natal
$446 26.4% ↓ 77.9%$1.6K
🛒Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$649 15%
Natal
$354 20.9% ↓ 45.6%$296
🍽Eating Out
Lisbon
$801 18.5%
Natal
$383 22.7% ↓ 52.1%$418
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$231 5.3%
Natal
$92 5.5% ↓ 60%$139
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$369 8.5%
Natal
$230 13.6% ↓ 37.6%$139
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$147 3.4%
Natal
$103 6.1% ↓ 29.8%$44
🚌Getting Around
Lisbon
$131 3%
Natal
$80 4.8% ↓ 38.8%$51
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $437 in Natal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Lisbon pays about 4.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.
🛒Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $36 in Natal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $154 per month, with Natal cheaper across the board.
Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.
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
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Natal?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $759 in Natal, so Natal is about 66% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Lisbon or Natal?
Average pay in Lisbon is about 4.1 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Lisbon and in Natal?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $437 in Natal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Lisbon and Natal?
Childcare runs $668 in Lisbon versus $107 in Natal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 77% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Natal?
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.
Where should expats move: Lisbon or Natal?
Expats usually find Natal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 66% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.