Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Salvador Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Salvador

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $787 in Salvador.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,209 in Salvador.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,630 in Salvador.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 191% more expensive than in Salvador, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.15

$6.33 R$32.35

155.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.3

$27.22 R$139

132.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.02

$6.73 R$34.40

53.34%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.47

$1.80 R$9.20

57.22%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$0.76 R$3.89

201.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.62 R$3.16

154.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.97

$2.14 R$10.93

58.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$4.07 R$20.78

-0.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.14 R$5.80

-4.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.30 R$6.64

34.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.19 R$6.09

47.90%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$1.87 R$9.54

69.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.53

$9.11 R$46.56

44.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.96

$3.86 R$19.72

106.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.57

$6.57 R$33.56

136.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.61 R$8.24

47.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.56 R$7.97

9.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.75

$0.84 R$4.28

139.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.12

$1.16 R$5.95

109.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.99 R$5.08

77.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.24 R$6.33

63.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.68 R$3.47

182.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.77 R$3.95

10.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.75

$2.00 R$10.24

229.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.87

$5.81 R$29.69

-3.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.16

$1.26 R$6.44

5.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$1.92 R$9.84

54.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.93 R$4.74

145.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.01

$44.84 R$229

2.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.69

$1.03 R$5.27

310.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$1.08 R$5.54

-25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.11

$9.09 R$46.46

102.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.03 R$5.25

101.94%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$17.9K R$91.7K

93.21%

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

$39.2K €34.2K

$26.3K R$134.5K

48.80%

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

$148 €129

$68.0 R$347

117.82%

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

$20.46 €17.88

$14.32 R$73.2

42.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.56

$16.22 R$82.9

143.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.93

$19.95 R$102

140.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.25

$27.48 R$140

-32.31%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.06

$5.68 R$29.05

62.32%

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

$616 €538

$225 R$1,149

173.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$10.7K R$54.6K

53.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.7

$52.1 R$266

97.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.47

$30.02 R$153

39.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.8

$67.6 R$346

40.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$77.7 R$397

57.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,426

$261 R$1,336

524.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,077

$216 R$1,106

469.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,707

$536 R$2,740

477.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,775

$345 R$1,765

488.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,842

$2,097 R$10.7K

273.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,835

$1,340 R$6,851

227.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,404

$382 R$1,954

320.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

10.35

-63.19%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Salvador: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $261 in Salvador. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 320% 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 $27.00 in Salvador for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $169 per month, with Salvador 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 Salvador: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Salvador differ by about 191% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $787 including rent). Salvador is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 320% 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $261 in Salvador. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $225 in Salvador. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 58% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $787 in Salvador versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Salvador but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Salvador 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 Salvador 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 Salvador gentler on the wallet – expenses run 191% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.