Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Petrolina Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Petrolina

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $695 in Petrolina.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,095 in Petrolina.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $1,494 in Petrolina.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 228% more expensive than in Petrolina, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Petrolina is 48% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.64

$5.30 R$26.89

197.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.0

$26.60 R$135

138.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.05

$6.25 R$31.73

67.20%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.52

$1.77 R$8.99

64.41%

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

$2.29 €1.98

$1.12 R$5.70

104.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.65 R$3.31

130.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$1.82 R$9.24

95.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.43

$2.75 R$13.96

44.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.06 R$5.36

1.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$0.84 R$4.26

109.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$1.09 R$5.54

55.96%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.81

$1.52 R$7.70

113.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.47

$7.94 R$40.31

66.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.67

$2.67 R$13.52

188.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.66

$7.18 R$36.45

119.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$2.10 R$10.65

8.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$0.83 R$4.21

100.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.19 R$6.06

69.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$1.45 R$7.38

70.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$1.15 R$5.84

55.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$0.75 R$3.79

176.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$0.75 R$3.80

162.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$0.43 R$2.18

93.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.68

$2.17 R$10.99

201.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.82

$6.80 R$34.52

-18.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$1.22 R$6.20

9.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.60

$1.99 R$10.12

51.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$0.88 R$4.46

157.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

$37.87 R$192

22.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.66

$1.09 R$5.56

288.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.71 R$3.59

19.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.31

$6.26 R$31.79

200.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.15 R$5.81

75.65%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$21.0K R$106.4K

66.81%

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

$39.6K €34.3K

$19.7K R$99.9K

101.44%

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

$148 €128

$61.5 R$312

140.38%

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

$20.52 €17.77

$13.58 R$68.9

51.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.23

$9.05 R$45.90

336.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.72

$16.03 R$81.4

200.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

$21.59 R$110

-14.82%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.88

$3.53 R$17.93

157.79%

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

$615 €532

$225 R$1,144

172.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$6,425 R$32.6K

153.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$17.98 R$91.3

464.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.45

$42.36 R$215

-0.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €79.9

$49.32 R$250

87.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$75.7 R$384

61.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,396

$250 R$1,269

544.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,086

$214 R$1,086

485.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,658

$534 R$2,708

475.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,764

$376 R$1,910

441.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,712

$1,458 R$7,399

431.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,712

$1,093 R$5,544

292.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,387

$575 R$2,916

178.70%

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 Petrolina: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $250 in Petrolina. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 179% 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 $27.00 in Petrolina for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $152 per month, with Petrolina 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 Petrolina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Petrolina differ by about 228% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $695 including rent). Petrolina is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 179% 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 $250 in Petrolina. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $225 in Petrolina. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 75% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $695 in Petrolina versus $2,280 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Petrolina but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Petrolina 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 Petrolina 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 Petrolina gentler on the wallet – expenses run 228% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.