Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Nova Friburgo Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Nova Friburgo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $733 in Nova Friburgo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,198 in Nova Friburgo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,663 in Nova Friburgo.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 202% more expensive than Nova Friburgo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Nova Friburgo is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$7.15 R$36.20

122.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$31.81 R$161

103.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$5.90 R$29.88

78.14%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$1.90 R$9.62

51.05%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.80 R$4.05

180.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.48 R$2.43

212.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$1.67 R$8.45

108.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$2.66 R$13.48

45.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.91 R$4.62

25.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.78 R$9.02

-1.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.46 R$7.41

20.55%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.00 R$10.11

61.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$8.00 R$40.48

68.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$3.67 R$18.56

115.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$8.08 R$40.92

96.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.40 R$7.08

65.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.57 R$7.97

8.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.51 R$7.65

33.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.57 R$7.93

56.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.30 R$6.56

41.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.15 R$5.81

73.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.69 R$3.50

179.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.61 R$3.08

29.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$2.00 R$10.11

230.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$6.09 R$30.86

-6.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.27 R$6.45

7.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.06 R$10.45

44.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.91 R$4.61

160.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.22

$38.86 R$197

17.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$1.06 R$5.39

304.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.47 R$2.36

74.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$5.99 R$30.31

205.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.03 R$5.20

100.00%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$14.2K R$71.8K

141.79%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$25.3K R$128.2K

55.18%

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

$148 €127

$36.60 R$185

304.02%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$8.52 R$43.12

140.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.10

$17.15 R$86.9

130.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.19

$20.17 R$102

137.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$21.99 R$111

-13.96%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$6.46 R$32.69

42.11%

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

$614 €529

$545 R$2,760

12.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$11.8K R$59.7K

36.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$44.96 R$228

132.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.21

$41.34 R$209

1.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$62.2 R$315

51.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$62.0 R$314

93.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,401

$311 R$1,573

423.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$218 R$1,102

476.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$583 R$2,950

420.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,739

$433 R$2,193

366.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,715

$1,615 R$8,179

382.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,678

$808 R$4,090

428.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,380

$510 R$2,585

214.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

11.33

-66.37%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Nova Friburgo: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

Lisbon pays 214% 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 $32.00 in Nova Friburgo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $177 per month, with Nova Friburgo 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 Nova Friburgo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Nova Friburgo differ by about 202% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $733 including rent). Nova Friburgo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 214% 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 Nova Friburgo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $545 in Nova Friburgo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 53% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $733 in Nova Friburgo versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Nova Friburgo but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Nova Friburgo 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 Nova Friburgo 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 Nova Friburgo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 202% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.