Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Pouso Alegre Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Pouso Alegre

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $683 in Pouso Alegre.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,088 in Pouso Alegre.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,494 in Pouso Alegre.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 236% more expensive than in Pouso Alegre, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Pouso Alegre is 49% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$3.52 R$17.93

359.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$14.15 R$72.1

347.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$5.64 R$28.72

82.98%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$1.93 R$9.83

46.63%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$0.78 R$3.99

193.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.56 R$2.83

182.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$1.29 R$6.56

163.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$2.00 R$10.19

101.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$0.79 R$4.03

37.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.11 R$5.65

57.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.39 R$7.07

26.62%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$1.75 R$8.92

81.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$7.41 R$37.71

78.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$2.38 R$12.12

234.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$6.27 R$31.92

147.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.66 R$8.46

42.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.20 R$6.12

42.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$2.05 R$10.46

-1.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$1.72 R$8.75

41.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.28 R$6.49

37.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.27 R$6.48

59.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.75 R$3.83

156.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.69 R$3.53

23.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$2.18 R$11.10

201.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$6.33 R$32.21

-11.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$0.70 R$3.55

90.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$0.93 R$4.71

219.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.62 R$3.14

267.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$38.01 R$194

20.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$1.24 R$6.31

241.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$1.06 R$5.42

-23.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$6.38 R$32.48

189.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.02 R$5.19

103.92%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$21.0K R$106.8K

65.31%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$29.0K R$147.8K

34.84%

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

$148 €130

$35.77 R$182

313.89%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$6.75 R$34.34

203.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$15.97 R$81.3

147.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$22.19 R$113

116.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

$21.76 R$111

-14.52%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$5.27 R$26.82

74.95%

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

$616 €540

$284 R$1,448

116.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$7,863 R$40.0K

109.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$46.06 R$234

122.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$39.67 R$202

5.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$72.5 R$369

30.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$41.39 R$211

194.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$318 R$1,619

413.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$215 R$1,095

472.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$586 R$2,983

428.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$428 R$2,180

374.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$1,512 R$7,699

417.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$1,318 R$6,708

233.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$420 R$2,136

283.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

-57.67%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Pouso Alegre: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $318 in Pouso Alegre. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 283% 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 $14.00 in Pouso Alegre for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $153 per month, with Pouso Alegre 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 Pouso Alegre: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Pouso Alegre differ by about 236% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $683 including rent). Pouso Alegre is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 283% 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 $318 in Pouso Alegre. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $284 in Pouso Alegre. 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 $683 in Pouso Alegre versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Pouso Alegre but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Pouso 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 Pouso 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 Pouso Alegre gentler on the wallet – expenses run 236% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.