Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Paulo Afonso Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Paulo Afonso

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $851 in Paulo Afonso.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $1,376 in Paulo Afonso.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $1,901 in Paulo Afonso.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Paulo Afonso is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.31

$6.64 R$34.14

164.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.7

$29.80 R$153

110.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.08

$6.74 R$34.67

71.81%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.19 R$11.27

41.55%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$1.34 R$6.89

85.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.83 R$4.26

109.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$1.97 R$10.12

76.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$2.62 R$13.49

31.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.04 R$5.35

10.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.69 R$8.72

13.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.21 R$6.20

23.97%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$2.19 R$11.27

81.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.57

$9.24 R$47.53

43.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.97

$4.22 R$21.68

89.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.70

$8.49 R$43.67

112.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$2.10 R$10.78

11.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.52

$1.20 R$6.17

45.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$1.18 R$6.08

56.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$1.51 R$7.76

68.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.60

$1.22 R$6.29

50.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$0.99 R$5.09

112.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.29

$0.76 R$3.89

96.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.79 R$4.06

3.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.18

$2.19 R$11.28

224.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.14

$7.91 R$40.65

-25.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.14

$1.26 R$6.49

3.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.06 R$10.59

3.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$0.96 R$4.92

145.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.57

$44.12 R$227

5.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$1.44 R$7.41

183.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.85 R$4.38

34.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.88

$9.01 R$46.34

89.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.23 R$6.32

87.80%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$22.8K R$117.4K

49.44%

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

$41.4K €36.0K

$31.4K R$161.5K

31.78%

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

$169 €147

$71.2 R$366

136.66%

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

$19.33 €16.83

$11.27 R$58.0

71.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.17

$21.23 R$109

57.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.51

$25.14 R$129

94.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.92

$25.58 R$132

-24.04%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.33

$6.96 R$35.80

37.50%

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

$696 €606

$317 R$1,628

119.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$6,996 R$36.0K

148.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.7

$52.7 R$271

99.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.56

$49.51 R$255

-3.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.5

$93.5 R$481

7.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$71.1 R$366

74.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,446

$363 R$1,864

358.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,085

$229 R$1,177

444.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,580

$652 R$3,354

354.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,783

$455 R$2,341

349.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,819

$1,811 R$9,311

332.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,886

$1,190 R$6,119

275.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,420

$231 R$1,187

606.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

11.06

-65.82%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Paulo Afonso: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $363 in Paulo Afonso. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 607% 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 $30.00 in Paulo Afonso for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $190 per month, with Paulo Afonso 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 Paulo Afonso: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Paulo Afonso differ by about 170% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $851 including rent). Paulo Afonso is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 607% 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $363 in Paulo Afonso. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $317 in Paulo Afonso. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $851 in Paulo Afonso versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Paulo Afonso but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Paulo Afonso 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 Paulo Afonso 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 Paulo Afonso 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.