Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Porto Alegre

For one person, living is cheaper in Porto Alegre: $199 a month against $2,202 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $24,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

Porto Alegre

🇸🇹 Sao Tome and Principe

$199

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Porto Alegre

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Porto Alegre actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,202 in Lisbon versus $199 in Porto Alegre.

Lisbon $2,202
Porto Alegre $199

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,274 in Lisbon versus $411 in Porto Alegre.

Lisbon $3,274
Porto Alegre $411

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $623 in Porto Alegre.

Lisbon $4,346
Porto Alegre $623

Living in Lisbon is roughly 1004% more expensive than in Porto Alegre, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 62% above, Porto Alegre is 85% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.04 €15.15

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 €55.4

$37.37 STN 815

66.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 €9.80

$5.76 STN 126

91.32%

Cappuccino

$3.12 €2.78

$2.48 STN 54.1

25.81%

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

$2.27 €2.02

$1.06 STN 23.16

114.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.55

$0.87 STN 18.94

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 €3.04

$2.23 STN 48.56

53.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 €3.33

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.04

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.66

$2.15 STN 46.81

-13.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 €1.37

$1.04 STN 22.63

48.08%

Eggs

$4.06 €3.61

$2.34 STN 50.9

73.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.91 €11.49

$19.05 STN 415

-32.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.03

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.64 €15.69

$11.95 STN 260

47.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 €1.68

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.27

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.29

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 €0.69

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.71 €5.97

$2.30 STN 50.1

191.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €5.04

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.22

$1.10 STN 23.88

24.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.88

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 €2.07

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.43 €39.52

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.95 €3.51

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 €0.93

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.15 €15.26

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 €1.95

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

$33.8K €30.0K

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

$38.3K €34.0K

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

$164 €146

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

$18.48 €16.43

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.96 €29.32

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.87 €40.80

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.68 €16.61

Cinema Ticket

$9.75 €8.67

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

$684 €608

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €92.3

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.20 €41.09

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.7 €88.7

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €111

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 €1,414

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 €1,040

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,851 €2,536

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,993 €1,773

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,793 €6,932

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,418 €3,930

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,600 €1,423

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Last update for Porto Alegre: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1%

Porto Alegre

–

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$273 12.4%

Porto Alegre

–

Eating Out

Lisbon

$247 11.2%

Porto Alegre

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$215 9.8%

Porto Alegre

–

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$168 7.7%

Porto Alegre

–

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$65 3%

Porto Alegre

–

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Porto Alegre

–

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $37.00 in Porto Alegre for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $133 per month, with Porto Alegre cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇸🇹 Porto Alegre

🕒 Local time

08:25 8:25 AM

07:25 7:25 AM

1 h behind Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

795

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Sao Tome and Principe Dobra STN Db

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 STN = 4.59 USD

100 STN = 4.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

STN, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Sao Tome and Principe Dobra exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 21.8 STN (100 STN = 4.59 USD). 1 EUR = 24.51 STN (100 STN = 4.08 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lisbon Porto Alegre 4,590 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

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Lisbon
Porto Alegre

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Lisbon vs Porto Alegre: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Porto Alegre differ by about 1004% in total monthly costs ($2,202 vs $199 including rent). Porto Alegre is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,302 in Lisbon and $299 in Porto Alegre to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Dining out is cheaper in Porto Alegre – a meal for two runs $37.00 versus $62.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,202 per month in Lisbon versus $199 in Porto Alegre – a 1004% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $199 in Porto Alegre versus $2,202 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Porto Alegre but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Porto Alegre 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 Porto Alegre 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 Porto Alegre gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1004% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.