Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Paulista Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Paulista

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $658 in Paulista.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,045 in Paulista.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,431 in Paulista.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 236% more expensive than Paulista, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Paulista is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$5.68 R$28.74

180.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$14.60 R$73.9

343.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$6.43 R$32.53

63.45%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$1.43 R$7.23

100.70%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$1.22 R$6.18

83.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.35 R$1.77

328.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$1.66 R$8.42

110.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$2.14 R$10.83

81.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.92 R$4.63

23.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.21 R$6.12

44.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$0.93 R$4.69

89.25%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$1.82 R$9.18

76.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.62

$2.47 R$12.51

446.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$2.63 R$13.32

200.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$5.20 R$26.30

205.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.79 R$9.05

29.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$0.94 R$4.75

80.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$0.86 R$4.37

133.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.11 R$5.62

121.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$0.98 R$4.95

87.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$0.70 R$3.52

185.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.35 R$1.76

451.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.57 R$2.86

38.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$2.00 R$10.14

230.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$3.86 R$19.51

48.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.29 R$6.52

6.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.48 R$12.56

19.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.93 R$4.70

154.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.23

$38.89 R$197

17.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$0.92 R$4.67

366.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.71 R$3.60

15.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$10.82 R$54.8

69.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.95 R$4.82

116.84%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$12.8K R$64.9K

167.29%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$27.0K R$136.6K

45.53%

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

$148 €127

$41.95 R$212

252.49%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$15.79 R$79.9

29.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.11

$18.90 R$95.7

109.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.20

$22.94 R$116

108.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$21.97 R$111

-13.88%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$5.54 R$28.04

65.70%

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

$614 €529

$64.1 R$324

858.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$4,347 R$22.0K

269.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$16.43 R$83.2

537.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.22

$43.13 R$218

-2.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$44.44 R$225

111.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$54.0 R$273

121.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,402

$317 R$1,606

412.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$213 R$1,075

490.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$574 R$2,902

428.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,740

$429 R$2,169

371.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,716

$1,420 R$7,186

449.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,679

$1,105 R$5,588

286.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,381

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

-68.25%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Paulista: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $317 in Paulista. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $15.00 in Paulista for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $124 per month, with Paulista 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 Paulista: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Paulista differ by about 236% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $658 including rent). Paulista is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,315 in Lisbon and $988 in Paulista to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $317 in Paulista. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $64.1 in Paulista. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 118% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $658 in Paulista versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Paulista but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Paulista 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 Paulista 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 Paulista gentler on the wallet – expenses run 236% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.