Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Niteroi Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Niteroi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $907 in Niteroi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,473 in Niteroi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $2,039 in Niteroi.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 151% more expensive than in Niteroi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Niteroi is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.64

$6.44 R$32.66

144.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.0

$31.23 R$158

103.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.05

$6.48 R$32.89

61.27%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.52

$2.15 R$10.89

35.35%

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

$2.29 €1.98

$1.27 R$6.45

80.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.85 R$4.31

76.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$1.77 R$8.98

101.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.43

$2.38 R$12.06

66.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.13 R$5.72

-4.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.50 R$7.62

17.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$1.38 R$6.99

23.19%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.81

$1.83 R$9.28

77.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.47

$8.30 R$42.10

59.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.67

$3.67 R$18.64

109.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.66

$7.46 R$37.87

111.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$2.30 R$11.66

-0.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$1.47 R$7.45

12.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.51 R$7.68

33.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$1.64 R$8.34

50.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$1.29 R$6.55

38.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$0.95 R$4.82

117.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$0.62 R$3.13

217.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$0.70 R$3.55

18.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.68

$2.87 R$14.55

128.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.82

$6.42 R$32.56

-13.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$1.20 R$6.07

10.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.60

$2.60 R$13.17

15.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$0.95 R$4.84

138.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

$43.67 R$222

6.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.66

$1.06 R$5.38

299.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.80 R$4.06

6.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.31

$7.18 R$36.45

162.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.04 R$5.30

94.23%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$13.3K R$67.4K

163.27%

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

$39.6K €34.3K

$17.5K R$88.9K

126.35%

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

$148 €128

$97.7 R$496

51.37%

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

$20.52 €17.77

$20.14 R$102

1.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.23

$18.58 R$94.3

112.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.72

$32.93 R$167

46.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

$29.67 R$151

-38.02%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.88

$9.67 R$49.04

-5.89%

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

$615 €532

$443 R$2,248

38.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$6,587 R$33.4K

147.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$65.4 R$332

55.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.45

$35.05 R$178

20.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €79.9

$96.1 R$488

-3.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$80.7 R$409

51.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,396

$277 R$1,406

481.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,086

$248 R$1,257

405.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,658

$566 R$2,871

442.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,764

$556 R$2,819

266.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,712

$1,389 R$7,050

457.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,712

$1,487 R$7,547

188.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,387

$927 R$4,701

72.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

11.6

-67.16%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Last update for Niteroi: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $277 in Niteroi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 73% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $31.00 in Niteroi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $180 per month, with Niteroi 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 Niteroi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Niteroi differ by about 151% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $907 including rent). Niteroi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 73% 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: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $277 in Niteroi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $443 in Niteroi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 48% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $907 in Niteroi versus $2,280 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Niteroi but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Niteroi 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 Niteroi 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 Niteroi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 151% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.