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: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $734 in Palmas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,127 in Palmas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $1,519 in Palmas.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 211% more expensive than in Palmas, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Palmas is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.64

$3.65 R$18.54

331.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.0

$18.31 R$92.9

246.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.05

$7.12 R$36.14

46.77%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.52

$1.34 R$6.80

117.16%

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

$2.29 €1.98

$1.72 R$8.74

33.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$1.07 R$5.42

40.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$1.25 R$6.34

184.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.43

$2.73 R$13.83

45.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.03 R$5.25

4.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.33 R$6.76

32.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$1.73 R$8.79

-1.73%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.81

$2.47 R$12.52

31.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.47

$6.12 R$31.06

116.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.67

$3.34 R$16.97

130.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.66

$5.86 R$29.72

169.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$2.15 R$10.92

6.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$1.58 R$8.00

5.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.14 R$5.76

77.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$1.11 R$5.61

122.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$1.14 R$5.81

57.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$1.10 R$5.57

88.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$0.74 R$3.73

166.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$0.62 R$3.14

33.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.68

$2.09 R$10.61

213.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.82

$6.68 R$33.88

-16.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$0.96 R$4.87

38.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.60

$2.00 R$10.16

50.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$0.70 R$3.56

224.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

$39.06 R$198

18.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.66

$1.09 R$5.55

288.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.76 R$3.85

11.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.31

$6.44 R$32.66

192.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.07 R$5.45

88.79%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$20.9K R$106.1K

67.15%

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

$39.6K €34.3K

$28.1K R$142.6K

41.06%

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

$148 €128

$116 R$587

27.82%

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

$20.52 €17.77

$10.66 R$54.1

92.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.23

$18.12 R$92.0

118.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.72

$21.69 R$110

122.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

$21.74 R$110

-15.41%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.88

$5.30 R$26.87

71.70%

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

$615 €532

$132 R$672

364.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$6,423 R$32.6K

153.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$38.06 R$193

166.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.45

$42.70 R$217

-1.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €79.9

$89.8 R$456

2.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$57.4 R$291

112.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,396

$223 R$1,133

621.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,086

$142 R$721

781.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,658

$454 R$2,304

576.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,764

$296 R$1,503

587.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,712

$1,870 R$9,491

314.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,712

$1,048 R$5,319

308.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,387

$294 R$1,493

444.40%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Palmas: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $223 in Palmas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 444% 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 $18.00 in Palmas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $162 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 211% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $734 including rent). Palmas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 444% 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 $223 in Palmas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $132 in Palmas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 65% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $734 in Palmas versus $2,280 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 211% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.