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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $693 in Rio Dulce.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,075 in Rio Dulce.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,457 in Rio Dulce.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 219% more expensive than Rio Dulce, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Rio Dulce is 48% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$2.30 Q 17.51

591.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$49.91 Q 380

29.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$6.48 Q 49.38

62.19%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$3.41 Q 25.96

-15.84%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.63 Q 4.77

255.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.92 Q 7.01

63.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$3.31 Q 25.22

5.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$4.45 Q 33.87

-12.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$2.11 Q 16.09

-45.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.01 Q 7.70

73.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.26 Q 9.62

39.68%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$1.85 Q 14.07

74.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$7.65 Q 58.3

76.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$8.27 Q 63.1

-4.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$9.29 Q 70.8

70.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$3.63 Q 27.65

-36.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$0.68 Q 5.15

150.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$0.94 Q 7.19

113.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.28 Q 9.72

92.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.07 Q 8.13

71.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.06 Q 8.04

88.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.63 Q 4.77

206.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$1.23 Q 9.39

-35.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$3.74 Q 28.46

76.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$8.11 Q 61.8

-29.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.68 Q 12.79

-18.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.44 Q 18.56

21.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.68 Q 5.17

248.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$5.18 Q 39.44

-17.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.65 Q 4.93

26.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$15.87 Q 121

15.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.10 Q 8.41

87.27%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$19.2K Q 146.3K

78.54%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$24.3K Q 184.9K

61.93%

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

$148 €127

$22.20 Q 169

566.08%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$25.81 Q 197

-20.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$48.35 Q 368

-18.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$7.20 Q 54.9

27.50%

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

$614 €528

$244 Q 1,858

151.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$5,858 Q 44.6K

173.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$49.61 Q 378

110.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$52.5 Q 400

-19.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$117 Q 892

-19.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$121 Q 920

-0.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$77.1 Q 587

1528.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

8.9

-57.19%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Rio Dulce: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $50.0 in Rio Dulce for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $220 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 219% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $693 including rent). Rio Dulce is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,315 in Lisbon and $1,039 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 22% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $693 in Rio Dulce – a 219% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $693 in Rio Dulce versus $2,210 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 219% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.