Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Rio Dulce Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Rio Dulce

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $754 in Rio Dulce.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,230 in Rio Dulce.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $1,706 in Rio Dulce.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 201% more expensive than in Rio Dulce, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Rio Dulce is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$6.75 Q 51.5

160.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$48.94 Q 373

31.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$8.01 Q 61.1

45.44%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$3.34 Q 25.50

-2.40%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$1.15 Q 8.74

116.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.84 Q 6.38

98.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$3.31 Q 25.25

4.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$4.80 Q 36.64

-25.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$2.09 Q 15.92

-43.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$2.85 Q 21.74

-31.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$2.10 Q 15.99

-25.71%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$2.46 Q 18.73

63.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$6.22 Q 47.45

113.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$9.51 Q 72.6

-11.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$13.13 Q 100

38.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$3.96 Q 30.21

-41.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.73 Q 13.18

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$2.80 Q 21.39

-31.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.60 Q 12.24

65.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.47 Q 11.19

29.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$2.17 Q 16.52

-2.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.68 Q 5.15

111.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$1.15 Q 8.77

-30.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$3.99 Q 30.41

75.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$8.07 Q 61.6

-26.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.72 Q 13.16

-20.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.64 Q 20.13

-18.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$5.11 Q 39.00

-18.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$10.29 Q 78.5

67.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.22 Q 9.32

84.43%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$27.6K Q 210.9K

24.66%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$25.5K Q 194.8K

62.95%

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

$171 €147

$74.3 Q 567

129.96%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$29.73 Q 227

-36.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$46.23 Q 353

-25.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$6.54 Q 49.86

54.43%

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

$699 €603

$344 Q 2,620

103.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$6,625 Q 50.5K

168.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$46.75 Q 357

123.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$46.88 Q 358

2.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$109 Q 834

-6.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$114 Q 866

13.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

11.62

-67.47%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Rio Dulce: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $49.00 in Rio Dulce for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $278 per month, with Rio Dulce 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 Rio Dulce: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Rio Dulce differ by about 201% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $754 including rent). Rio Dulce is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,402 in Lisbon and $1,130 in Rio Dulce 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,268 per month in Lisbon versus $754 in Rio Dulce – a 201% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $754 in Rio Dulce versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Rio Dulce but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Rio Dulce 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 Rio Dulce 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 Rio Dulce gentler on the wallet – expenses run 201% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.