Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sao Carlos

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Carlos: $982 a month against $2,202 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $14,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Sao Carlos
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Sao Carlos Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

Sao Carlos

🇧🇷 Brazil

$982

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Sao Carlos

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Sao Carlos actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,202 in Lisbon versus $982 in Sao Carlos.

Lisbon $2,202
Sao Carlos $982

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,274 in Lisbon versus $1,709 in Sao Carlos.

Lisbon $3,274
Sao Carlos $1,709

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $2,436 in Sao Carlos.

Lisbon $4,346
Sao Carlos $2,436

Living in Lisbon is roughly 124% more expensive than in Sao Carlos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 62% above, Sao Carlos is 27% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.04 €15.15

$4.98 R$25.25

242.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 €55.4

$40.05 R$203

55.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 €9.80

$6.77 R$34.33

62.78%

Cappuccino

$3.12 €2.78

$2.12 R$10.74

47.17%

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

$2.27 €2.02

$1.34 R$6.78

69.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.55

$0.79 R$3.98

120.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 €3.04

$1.63 R$8.24

109.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 €3.33

$2.83 R$14.36

32.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.34 R$6.80

-12.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.66

$1.96 R$9.96

-5.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 €1.37

$1.78 R$9.03

-13.48%

Eggs

$4.06 €3.61

$2.95 R$14.94

37.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.91 €11.49

$12.48 R$63.3

3.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.03

$5.25 R$26.61

50.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.64 €15.69

$9.22 R$46.72

91.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

$2.71 R$13.72

-16.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

$1.84 R$9.33

-4.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 €1.68

$1.78 R$9.01

6.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.27

$1.96 R$9.95

30.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

$1.74 R$8.84

6.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$1.36 R$6.88

44.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.29

$1.01 R$5.14

43.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 €0.69

$1.16 R$5.88

-33.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.71 €5.97

$3.19 R$16.18

110.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €5.04

$8.46 R$42.91

-32.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.22

$1.48 R$7.50

-7.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.88

$2.91 R$14.73

-27.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 €2.07

$0.98 R$4.97

136.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.43 €39.52

$23.86 R$121

86.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.95 €3.51

$1.48 R$7.48

166.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 €0.93

$1.01 R$5.11

3.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.15 €15.26

$3.64 R$18.45

371.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 €1.95

$1.25 R$6.32

75.20%

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

$33.8K €30.0K

$20.2K R$102.2K

67.63%

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

$38.3K €34.0K

$31.5K R$159.5K

21.63%

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

$164 €146

$62.4 R$316

162.64%

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

$18.48 €16.43

$13.74 R$69.6

34.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.96 €29.32

$24.07 R$122

36.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.87 €40.80

$34.77 R$176

31.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.68 €16.61

$48.31 R$245

-61.33%

Cinema Ticket

$9.75 €8.67

$5.38 R$27.29

81.23%

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

$684 €608

$302 R$1,531

126.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.7K

$3,032 R$15.4K

481.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €92.3

$84.7 R$429

22.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.20 €41.09

$96.7 R$490

-52.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.7 €88.7

$139 R$705

-28.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €111

$163 R$826

-23.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 €1,414

$272 R$1,377

484.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 €1,040

$236 R$1,197

395.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,851 €2,536

$673 R$3,410

323.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,993 €1,773

$663 R$3,358

200.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,793 €6,932

$849 R$4,303

818.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,418 €3,930

$730 R$3,698

505.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,600 €1,423

$681 R$3,453

134.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

10.75

-64.19%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Last update for Sao Carlos: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1%

Sao Carlos

$236 24% 79.8% $933

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$273 12.4%

Sao Carlos

$241 24.5% 11.8% $32

Eating Out

Lisbon

$247 11.2%

Sao Carlos

$108 11% 56.4% $140

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$215 9.8%

Sao Carlos

$100 10.2% 53.5% $115

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$168 7.7%

Sao Carlos

$218 22.1% 29.1% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$65 3%

Sao Carlos

$46 4.6% 30.4% $20

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Sao Carlos

$34 3.5% 45.5% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,589 in Lisbon and $272 in Sao Carlos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 135% 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: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $40.00 in Sao Carlos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $241 per month, with Sao Carlos cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇧🇷 Sao Carlos

🕒 Local time

01:53 1:53 AM

21:53 9:53 PM

4 h behind Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

254,857

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Lisbon Sao Carlos 7,850 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Sao Carlos

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 124% in total monthly costs ($2,202 vs $982 including rent). Sao Carlos is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 135% 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: $1,589 in Lisbon versus $272 in Sao Carlos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $684 in Lisbon versus $302 in Sao Carlos. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $982 in Sao Carlos versus $2,202 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 124% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.