Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Recife Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Recife

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $873 in Recife.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $1,454 in Recife.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $2,036 in Recife.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 165% more expensive than in Recife, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Recife is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.87

$5.30 R$27.02

226.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$36.33 R$185

74.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.79

$9.65 R$49.22

18.03%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.74

$2.45 R$12.48

30.20%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$1.02 R$5.19

140.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.57 R$2.92

208.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$1.56 R$7.94

130.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$3.11 R$15.88

9.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.41 R$7.18

-12.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.57 R$8.00

26.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.62 R$8.25

-6.17%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.47

$1.81 R$9.22

123.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.64

$6.96 R$35.49

94.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.21

$4.48 R$22.83

87.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.69

$7.66 R$39.05

138.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.32 R$6.75

73.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.29 R$6.56

34.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$0.78 R$3.96

138.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$1.22 R$6.24

115.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.36 R$6.95

41.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$1.07 R$5.47

95.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.49 R$2.52

193.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$0.82 R$4.18

2.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$1.71 R$8.73

296.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$7.89 R$40.23

-27.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.10 R$5.60

25.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$1.52 R$7.75

46.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$0.84 R$4.30

185.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.22

$37.18 R$190

25.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$1.17 R$5.96

256.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.71 R$3.64

60.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.20

$3.31 R$16.86

434.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.22 R$6.24

90.16%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$22.9K R$116.8K

54.28%

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

$41.4K €35.6K

$32.3K R$164.8K

28.22%

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

$170 €146

$114 R$580

49.74%

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

$19.34 €16.62

$13.00 R$66.3

48.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.92

$16.83 R$85.8

99.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.35

$20.36 R$104

136.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.11

$33.69 R$172

-40.93%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.53

$8.34 R$42.51

18.94%

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

$717 €617

$266 R$1,354

170.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$11.7K R$59.8K

49.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$43.59 R$222

140.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.36

$48.35 R$247

-2.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €88.9

$74.0 R$377

39.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$80.7 R$411

53.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,441

$501 R$2,554

234.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,093

$257 R$1,310

394.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,566

$858 R$4,375

247.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,713

$603 R$3,075

230.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,728

$1,946 R$9,922

302.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,004

$1,027 R$5,236

353.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,361

$420 R$2,140

277.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

11.75

-67.74%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Recife: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $501 in Recife. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 277% 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 $36.00 in Recife for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $176 per month, with Recife 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 Recife: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Recife differ by about 165% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $873 including rent). Recife is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 277% 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: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $501 in Recife. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $717 in Lisbon versus $266 in Recife. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 61% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $873 in Recife versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Recife but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Recife 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 Recife 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 Recife gentler on the wallet – expenses run 165% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.