Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Petropolis Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Petropolis

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,243 in Lisbon versus $736 in Petropolis.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,192 in Petropolis.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,387 in Lisbon versus $1,649 in Petropolis.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 205% more expensive than Petropolis, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 67% above, Petropolis is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.73 €13.42

$6.43 R$31.97

144.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 €53.9

$25.64 R$127

146.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €8.80

$6.51 R$32.35

58.53%

Cappuccino

$2.81 €2.40

$1.79 R$8.88

56.98%

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

$2.33 €1.99

$1.07 R$5.31

117.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.59 R$2.91

155.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 €2.87

$1.06 R$5.28

217.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.34

$2.31 R$11.50

69.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.92

$1.14 R$5.65

-5.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.49

$1.44 R$7.14

21.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.30 R$6.48

34.62%

Eggs

$3.10 €2.64

$1.88 R$9.33

64.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.28 €11.33

$8.43 R$41.89

57.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 €6.70

$3.64 R$18.10

115.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.05 €13.69

$7.75 R$38.50

107.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$1.38 R$6.87

73.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.47

$1.09 R$5.43

57.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$0.80 R$3.99

146.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.17

$1.29 R$6.42

97.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.28 R$6.37

39.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$0.97 R$4.83

103.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 €1.67

$0.47 R$2.34

317.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.71

$0.50 R$2.51

68.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.82

$1.99 R$9.91

242.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.85 €4.99

$5.87 R$29.19

-0.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$0.94 R$4.65

46.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 €2.49

$1.40 R$6.98

108.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €1.95

$0.90 R$4.49

154.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.88 €39.99

$44.25 R$220

5.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 €3.51

$1.07 R$5.32

285.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.69

$0.65 R$3.23

24.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.94 €16.16

$7.27 R$36.11

160.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.78

$1.03 R$5.12

102.91%

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

$35.1K €30.0K

$13.5K R$67.0K

160.35%

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

$39.7K €33.9K

$17.9K R$89.0K

121.81%

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

$150 €128

$61.4 R$305

143.66%

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

$20.49 €17.48

$10.86 R$54.0

88.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.15 €33.40

$17.97 R$89.3

117.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.35

$26.48 R$132

87.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.47 €15.76

$35.42 R$176

-47.85%

Cinema Ticket

$9.20 €7.84

$5.84 R$29.04

57.53%

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

$624 €533

$187 R$928

234.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K €13.6K

$4,865 R$24.2K

226.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €87.2

$37.40 R$186

173.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 €34.87

$32.86 R$163

24.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 €81.6

$86.1 R$428

11.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €103

$57.4 R$285

111.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 €1,410

$354 R$1,760

366.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 €1,051

$191 R$950

544.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,043 €2,596

$530 R$2,636

473.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,059 €1,756

$421 R$2,092

389.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,879 €6,720

$2,647 R$13.2K

197.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,303 €3,671

$1,822 R$9,057

136.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,566 €1,336

$621 R$3,089

152.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

11.6

-67.16%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 21, 2026

Last update for Petropolis: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,653 in Lisbon and $354 in Petropolis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 152% 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 in Lisbon vs $26 in Petropolis for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $270 vs $161 per month, with Petropolis 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 Petropolis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Petropolis differ by about 205% in total monthly costs ($2,243 vs $736 including rent). Petropolis is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 152% 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: $1,653 in Lisbon versus $354 in Petropolis. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $624 in Lisbon versus $187 in Petropolis. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 67% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $736 in Petropolis versus $2,243 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Petropolis but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Petropolis 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 Petropolis 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 Petropolis gentler on the wallet – expenses run 205% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.