Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Olinda Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Olinda

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $840 in Olinda.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,329 in Olinda.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $1,817 in Olinda.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 170% more expensive than in Olinda, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Olinda is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.19

$5.49 R$28.25

219.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.8

$28.80 R$148

123.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.08

$7.73 R$39.78

50.71%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.82

$1.49 R$7.67

118.79%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$1.00 R$5.13

149.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.45

$0.58 R$3.00

187.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €3.01

$1.61 R$8.26

115.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.10

$3.15 R$16.19

13.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.03

$1.15 R$5.89

2.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.69

$1.59 R$8.19

22.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.44 R$7.41

8.33%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.47

$1.86 R$9.57

115.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.49

$6.90 R$35.47

92.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.29

$4.53 R$23.32

85.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.78

$7.19 R$36.98

153.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.01

$1.36 R$6.98

70.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.50

$0.93 R$4.79

86.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$0.77 R$3.96

150.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.28

$1.11 R$5.70

137.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.37 R$7.04

38.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.83

$1.08 R$5.56

95.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.25

$0.51 R$2.61

182.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.89 R$4.59

-10.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.07

$1.81 R$9.29

287.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.13

$7.65 R$39.37

-22.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.12 R$5.74

21.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.86

$1.54 R$7.91

39.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.06

$0.94 R$4.82

153.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €40.02

$39.25 R$202

17.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.63

$1.18 R$6.05

255.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$0.77 R$3.95

42.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.94

$3.20 R$16.44

439.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.95

$1.24 R$6.37

81.45%

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

$34.5K €29.8K

$23.1K R$119.1K

48.91%

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

$41.6K €36.0K

$32.0K R$164.4K

30.23%

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

$171 €148

$111 R$571

53.84%

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

$19.01 €16.45

$13.23 R$68.0

43.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.68

$17.09 R$87.9

100.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.98

$25.46 R$131

95.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.89

$27.48 R$141

-29.00%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.74

$8.13 R$41.80

24.23%

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

$699 €605

$269 R$1,386

159.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.4K

$6,419 R$33.0K

176.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.6

$44.18 R$227

136.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.53

$48.83 R$251

-1.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €88.2

$74.7 R$384

36.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$75.6 R$389

69.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,438

$309 R$1,587

438.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,063

$231 R$1,189

431.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,524

$660 R$3,397

341.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,752

$456 R$2,347

343.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,037

$1,465 R$7,534

454.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €4,013

$1,134 R$5,835

308.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,402

$363 R$1,868

345.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

-65.64%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Olinda: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $309 in Olinda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 346% 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 $29.00 in Olinda for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $169 per month, with Olinda 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 Olinda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Olinda differ by about 170% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $840 including rent). Olinda is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 346% 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 $309 in Olinda. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $269 in Olinda. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 66% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $840 in Olinda versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Olinda but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Olinda 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 Olinda 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 Olinda gentler on the wallet – expenses run 170% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.