Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Palmas Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Palmas

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,243 in Lisbon versus $724 in Palmas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,111 in Palmas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,387 in Lisbon versus $1,499 in Palmas.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 210% more expensive than Palmas, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 67% above, Palmas is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.73 €13.42

$3.65 R$18.15

330.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 €53.9

$17.91 R$89.0

252.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €8.80

$7.25 R$36.01

42.34%

Cappuccino

$2.81 €2.40

$1.30 R$6.47

116.15%

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

$2.33 €1.99

$1.71 R$8.48

36.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 €1.29

$1.01 R$5.03

49.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 €2.87

$1.28 R$6.34

163.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.34

$2.62 R$13.05

49.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.92

$1.05 R$5.21

2.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.49

$1.38 R$6.87

26.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.79 R$8.88

-2.23%

Eggs

$3.10 €2.64

$2.35 R$11.66

31.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.28 €11.33

$6.45 R$32.08

105.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 €6.70

$3.35 R$16.63

134.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.05 €13.69

$5.84 R$29.00

174.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$2.13 R$10.57

12.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.47

$1.57 R$7.80

9.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$1.18 R$5.88

66.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.17

$1.06 R$5.28

140.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.15 R$5.73

55.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$1.05 R$5.22

87.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 €1.67

$0.73 R$3.64

168.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.71

$0.66 R$3.29

27.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.82

$2.16 R$10.73

215.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.85 €4.99

$7.21 R$35.85

-18.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$0.97 R$4.82

42.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 €2.49

$1.98 R$9.86

47.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €1.95

$0.66 R$3.26

246.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.88 €39.99

$38.14 R$190

22.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 €3.51

$1.10 R$5.48

274.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.69

$0.71 R$3.51

14.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.94 €16.16

$6.57 R$32.66

188.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.78

$1.04 R$5.17

100.96%

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

$35.1K €30.0K

$20.7K R$103.0K

69.47%

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

$39.7K €33.9K

$27.4K R$136.1K

45.00%

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

$150 €128

$117 R$582

27.63%

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

$20.49 €17.48

$10.71 R$53.2

91.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.15 €33.40

$18.19 R$90.4

115.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.35

$21.89 R$109

126.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.47 €15.76

$21.41 R$106

-13.73%

Cinema Ticket

$9.20 €7.84

$5.29 R$26.30

73.91%

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

$624 €533

$128 R$638

386.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K €13.6K

$6,549 R$32.6K

142.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €87.2

$37.66 R$187

171.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 €34.87

$41.82 R$208

-2.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 €81.6

$91.0 R$452

5.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €103

$58.4 R$290

107.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 €1,410

$218 R$1,083

658.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 €1,051

$147 R$729

740.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,043 €2,596

$458 R$2,275

564.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,059 €1,756

$291 R$1,446

607.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,879 €6,720

$1,692 R$8,408

365.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,303 €3,671

$1,211 R$6,019

255.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,566 €1,336

$295 R$1,468

430.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

10.92

-65.11%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 21, 2026

Last update for Palmas: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,653 in Lisbon and $218 in Palmas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 430% 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 in Lisbon vs $18 in Palmas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $270 vs $164 per month, with Palmas 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 Palmas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Palmas differ by about 210% in total monthly costs ($2,243 vs $724 including rent). Palmas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 430% 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: $1,653 in Lisbon versus $218 in Palmas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $624 in Lisbon versus $128 in Palmas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 64% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $724 in Palmas versus $2,243 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Palmas but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Palmas 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 Palmas 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 Palmas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 210% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.