Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Salto Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Salto

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $785 in Salto.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,258 in Salto.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $1,730 in Salto.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 190% more expensive than in Salto, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Salto is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.64

$6.43 R$32.62

144.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.0

$24.87 R$126

155.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.05

$6.12 R$31.07

70.75%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.52

$1.73 R$8.77

68.21%

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

$2.29 €1.98

$1.01 R$5.13

126.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.71 R$3.60

111.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$1.84 R$9.34

93.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.43

$2.71 R$13.77

46.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$0.93 R$4.73

16.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.48 R$7.51

18.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$1.12 R$5.70

51.79%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.81

$2.31 R$11.71

40.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.47

$8.35 R$42.39

58.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.67

$3.35 R$16.98

129.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.66

$8.63 R$43.79

82.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$2.19 R$11.09

4.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$1.82 R$9.22

-8.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.41 R$7.14

43.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$1.60 R$8.12

54.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$1.30 R$6.60

37.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$1.09 R$5.51

89.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$0.76 R$3.85

159.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$0.43 R$2.18

93.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.68

$2.41 R$12.22

171.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.82

$8.54 R$43.31

-34.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$1.37 R$6.95

-2.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.60

$3.39 R$17.21

-11.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$0.88 R$4.47

157.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

$39.09 R$198

18.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.66

$0.88 R$4.46

380.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$1.06 R$5.39

-19.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.31

$8.64 R$43.82

117.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.02 R$5.17

98.04%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$22.3K R$113.1K

56.88%

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

$39.6K €34.3K

$29.2K R$148.2K

35.77%

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

$148 €128

$36.23 R$184

308.31%

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

$20.52 €17.77

$9.24 R$46.88

122.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.23

$17.66 R$89.6

123.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.72

$22.43 R$114

114.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

$21.89 R$111

-15.99%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.88

$2.62 R$13.31

247.33%

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

$615 €532

$235 R$1,191

161.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$6,969 R$35.4K

133.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$57.6 R$292

76.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.45

$51.3 R$260

-17.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €79.9

$85.8 R$435

7.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$70.9 R$360

72.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,396

$318 R$1,615

406.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,086

$217 R$1,101

477.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,658

$588 R$2,983

422.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,764

$422 R$2,140

382.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,712

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,712

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,387

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

10.92

-65.11%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Last update for Salto: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $318 in Salto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $25.00 in Salto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $186 per month, with Salto 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 Salto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Salto differ by about 190% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $785 including rent). Salto is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,420 in Lisbon and $1,178 in Salto 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $318 in Salto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $235 in Salto. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $785 in Salto versus $2,280 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Salto but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Salto 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 Salto 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 Salto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 190% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.