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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $655 in Pelotas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,019 in Pelotas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,384 in Pelotas.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 238% more expensive than Pelotas, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$3.92 R$19.83

305.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$21.44 R$108

202.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$5.58 R$28.23

88.35%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$1.27 R$6.43

125.98%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.70 R$3.55

220.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.48 R$2.45

212.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$1.38 R$6.99

152.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$1.32 R$6.69

193.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.90 R$4.56

26.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.88 R$4.47

98.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$0.98 R$4.98

79.59%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.07 R$10.47

55.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.62

$10.91 R$55.2

23.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$4.38 R$22.17

80.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$9.38 R$47.43

69.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.00 R$10.13

15.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.32 R$6.67

28.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.31 R$6.64

53.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.11 R$5.62

121.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.10 R$5.55

67.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$0.86 R$4.33

132.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.72 R$3.65

168.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.59 R$2.98

33.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$2.00 R$10.10

230.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$7.65 R$38.70

-25.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$0.98 R$4.95

39.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.86 R$9.44

59.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.87 R$4.38

172.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.23

$37.82 R$191

20.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$1.66 R$8.37

158.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.05 R$5.32

-21.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$5.28 R$26.70

246.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.07 R$5.40

92.52%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$24.0K R$121.3K

42.93%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$27.6K R$139.5K

42.50%

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

$148 €127

$60.1 R$304

146.16%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$14.47 R$73.2

41.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.11

$20.11 R$102

96.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.20

$19.64 R$99.4

143.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$18.37 R$92.9

2.99%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$3.20 R$16.20

186.87%

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

$614 €529

$307 R$1,553

99.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$7,143 R$36.1K

124.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$35.47 R$179

195.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.22

$56.9 R$288

-26.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$62.0 R$314

51.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$61.8 R$313

93.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,402

$188 R$950

766.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$126 R$638

895.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$256 R$1,296

1082.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,740

$210 R$1,062

862.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,716

$1,548 R$7,835

403.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,679

$779 R$3,940

448.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,381

$448 R$2,268

257.78%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Pelotas: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $188 in Pelotas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 258% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $21.00 in Pelotas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $180 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 238% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $655 including rent). Pelotas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 258% 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $188 in Pelotas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $307 in Pelotas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 49% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $655 in Pelotas versus $2,210 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 238% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.