Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sao Carlos Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sao Carlos

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $801 in Sao Carlos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,321 in Sao Carlos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,842 in Sao Carlos.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 176% more expensive than Sao Carlos, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Sao Carlos is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.80

$4.43 R$22.89

259.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €56.2

$32.22 R$167

101.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.12

$6.87 R$35.53

52.98%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.49

$1.78 R$9.20

61.24%

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

$2.24 €1.95

$1.11 R$5.75

101.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.63 R$3.28

138.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.03

$1.40 R$7.24

149.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.37

$2.94 R$15.18

31.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.99

$1.15 R$5.96

-0.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.52

$1.52 R$7.85

15.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.52

$2.54 R$13.12

-30.71%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.79

$2.33 R$12.03

38.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.70

$9.55 R$49.38

41.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.87

$4.33 R$22.41

82.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.77

$8.01 R$41.40

98.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €2.00

$2.40 R$12.41

-3.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.48

$1.45 R$7.48

17.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.74

$1.54 R$7.94

30.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.13

$1.98 R$10.25

24.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.60

$1.50 R$7.75

22.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.74

$1.25 R$6.45

60.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.67

$0.94 R$4.86

105.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.77 R$3.98

2.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.73

$2.17 R$11.21

204.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.97

$8.26 R$42.72

-30.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.30 R$6.74

5.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.58

$2.51 R$13.00

18.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.06

$0.92 R$4.74

157.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.52

$22.00 R$114

107.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.72

$1.37 R$7.07

213.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.88 R$4.56

-6.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.88

$3.33 R$17.22

449.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.79

$1.05 R$5.41

96.19%

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

$34.3K €29.7K

$28.5K R$147.6K

20.08%

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

$39.3K €34.1K

$29.8K R$153.9K

32.04%

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

$148 €128

$71.1 R$367

108.12%

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

$20.52 €17.80

$14.81 R$76.6

38.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.37

$18.24 R$94.3

117.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.51

$20.83 R$108

129.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.42

$39.03 R$202

-51.52%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.97

$4.35 R$22.50

111.03%

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

$614 €533

$310 R$1,605

97.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.9K

$2,653 R$13.7K

505.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.8

$45.58 R$236

129.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.49

$36.30 R$188

15.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €81.5

$104 R$537

-9.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €104

$90.9 R$470

31.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,412

$221 R$1,141

637.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,089

$216 R$1,115

482.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,629

$437 R$2,257

594.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,753

$487 R$2,518

314.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,766

$710 R$3,671

998.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,707

$862 R$4,455

395.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,391

$662 R$3,422

142.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

10.67

-64.29%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Sao Carlos: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $221 in Sao Carlos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 142% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $32.00 in Sao Carlos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $205 per month, with Sao Carlos 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 Sao Carlos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Sao Carlos differ by about 176% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $801 including rent). Sao Carlos is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 142% more on average, 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $221 in Sao Carlos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $310 in Sao Carlos. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $801 in Sao Carlos versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sao Carlos but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Sao Carlos 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 Sao Carlos 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 Sao Carlos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 176% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.