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: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $780 in Salto.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $1,254 in Salto.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $1,729 in Salto.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 186% more expensive than Salto, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Salto is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.84

$6.42 R$32.04

151.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$25.20 R$126

156.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$6.37 R$31.79

62.95%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$1.74 R$8.67

59.20%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$0.97 R$4.84

131.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.74 R$3.68

112.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

$1.79 R$8.93

94.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

$2.72 R$13.56

47.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$0.91 R$4.55

18.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.54 R$7.67

12.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.09 R$5.44

59.63%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$2.27 R$11.33

40.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$8.37 R$41.75

60.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$3.42 R$17.06

133.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

$8.85 R$44.14

81.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$2.27 R$11.35

0.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.81 R$9.04

-4.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$1.47 R$7.33

31.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$1.59 R$7.95

59.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.24 R$6.20

47.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.10 R$5.47

85.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$0.80 R$4.01

147.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.44 R$2.18

93.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$2.31 R$11.53

196.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

$9.56 R$47.72

-39.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.33 R$6.65

3.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$3.38 R$16.86

-14.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$0.88 R$4.39

159.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

$39.14 R$195

19.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$0.94 R$4.69

334.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.07 R$5.33

-23.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$8.83 R$44.05

106.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$1.02 R$5.08

97.06%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$22.0K R$110.0K

59.94%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$29.3K R$146.3K

31.28%

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

$145 €124

$35.77 R$178

306.49%

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

$20.96 €17.94

$9.21 R$45.96

127.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$17.94 R$89.5

123.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

$22.27 R$111

119.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

$21.69 R$108

-13.83%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$2.64 R$13.20

243.18%

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

$607 €519

$237 R$1,183

155.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$6,892 R$34.4K

136.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$57.4 R$286

82.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$50.5 R$252

-18.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$84.5 R$422

10.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$73.4 R$366

61.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

$314 R$1,566

411.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

$220 R$1,098

461.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

$577 R$2,877

428.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

$429 R$2,142

379.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

$1,799 R$8,975

328.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

$1,169 R$5,834

264.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Salto: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $314 in Salto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $25.00 in Salto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $190 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 186% in total monthly costs ($2,227 vs $780 including rent). Salto is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,341 in Lisbon and $1,169 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: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $314 in Salto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $607 in Lisbon versus $237 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 $780 in Salto versus $2,227 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 186% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.