Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Pelotas Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Pelotas

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $652 in Pelotas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,029 in Pelotas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,407 in Pelotas.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 252% more expensive than in Pelotas, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Pelotas is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$4.07 R$20.70

297.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$21.49 R$109

194.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$5.61 R$28.57

83.96%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$1.27 R$6.47

122.83%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$0.69 R$3.49

231.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.49 R$2.49

222.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$1.38 R$7.02

146.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$1.32 R$6.73

205.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$0.84 R$4.29

29.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$0.89 R$4.51

96.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.96 R$4.87

83.33%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.06 R$10.51

53.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$11.07 R$56.4

19.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$4.52 R$22.99

76.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$9.65 R$49.15

60.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$2.05 R$10.43

15.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.27 R$6.45

34.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.27 R$6.45

58.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$1.06 R$5.38

129.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.10 R$5.62

60.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.86 R$4.39

136.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.77 R$3.90

149.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.58 R$2.95

46.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$1.99 R$10.14

230.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$7.48 R$38.07

-25.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$0.97 R$4.95

37.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$1.78 R$9.09

66.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.88 R$4.46

159.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$39.23 R$200

16.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$1.67 R$8.50

153.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$1.04 R$5.31

-22.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$5.25 R$26.71

251.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.06 R$5.40

96.23%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$24.4K R$124.4K

41.91%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$28.0K R$142.3K

40.05%

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

$148 €130

$60.3 R$307

145.60%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$14.36 R$73.1

42.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$19.76 R$101

100.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$19.46 R$99.1

146.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

$18.26 R$92.9

1.86%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$3.33 R$16.97

176.88%

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

$616 €540

$308 R$1,566

100.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$7,122 R$36.3K

130.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$35.87 R$183

186.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$56.4 R$287

-25.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$63.4 R$323

49.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$63.8 R$325

91.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$186 R$947

777.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$125 R$638

883.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$258 R$1,316

1098.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$209 R$1,065

871.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$1,492 R$7,598

424.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$763 R$3,885

475.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$445 R$2,265

261.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

-61.90%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Pelotas: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $186 in Pelotas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 261% 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 $21.00 in Pelotas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $181 per month, with Pelotas 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 Pelotas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Pelotas differ by about 252% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $652 including rent). Pelotas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 261% 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $186 in Pelotas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $308 in Pelotas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 48% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $652 in Pelotas versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Pelotas but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Pelotas 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 Pelotas 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 Pelotas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 252% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.