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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $684 in Pouso Alegre.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,066 in Pouso Alegre.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,449 in Pouso Alegre.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 223% more expensive than Pouso Alegre, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Pouso Alegre is 49% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$3.62 R$18.13

339.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$14.13 R$70.7

358.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$5.59 R$27.97

88.01%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$1.94 R$9.71

47.94%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.84 R$4.18

166.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.52 R$2.61

188.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$1.25 R$6.23

179.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$1.97 R$9.85

96.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.83 R$4.16

37.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.16 R$5.79

50.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.38 R$6.91

27.54%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$1.71 R$8.54

88.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$7.04 R$35.21

91.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$2.36 R$11.81

235.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$6.13 R$30.67

158.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.70 R$8.49

35.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.21 R$6.05

40.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.08 R$10.41

-3.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.81 R$9.07

35.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.31 R$6.56

40.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.29 R$6.45

55.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.74 R$3.68

160.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.70 R$3.50

12.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$2.14 R$10.72

208.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$6.49 R$32.46

-11.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$0.74 R$3.73

85.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$0.88 R$4.41

237.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.60 R$3.01

295.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$39.00 R$195

16.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$1.27 R$6.37

237.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.07 R$5.34

-23.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$6.26 R$31.34

192.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.01 R$5.07

103.96%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$20.9K R$104.3K

64.40%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$29.3K R$146.4K

34.27%

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

$148 €127

$36.28 R$182

307.58%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$6.84 R$34.22

200.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$16.11 R$80.6

145.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$22.23 R$111

115.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$21.23 R$106

-10.88%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$5.51 R$27.56

66.61%

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

$614 €528

$285 R$1,426

115.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$8,099 R$40.5K

98.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$47.11 R$236

122.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$40.06 R$200

4.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$71.5 R$358

31.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$41.92 R$210

185.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$318 R$1,592

411.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$220 R$1,101

470.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$583 R$2,916

420.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$424 R$2,124

376.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$1,515 R$7,579

414.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$1,326 R$6,638

222.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$438 R$2,190

266.36%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Pouso Alegre: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $318 in Pouso Alegre. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 266% 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 $14.00 in Pouso Alegre for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 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 223% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $684 including rent). Pouso Alegre is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 266% 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 $318 in Pouso Alegre. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $285 in Pouso Alegre. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 76% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $684 in Pouso Alegre versus $2,210 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 223% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.