Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sao Joao da Madeira

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Joao da Madeira: $1,510 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 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
73

Cost of Living Index in Sao Joao da Madeira
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Sao Joao da Madeira Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Sao Joao da Madeira

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,510

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Sao Joao da Madeira

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 Joao da Madeira actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,223 in Lisbon versus $1,510 in Sao Joao da Madeira.

Lisbon $2,223
Sao Joao da Madeira $1,510

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,271 in Lisbon versus $2,107 in Sao Joao da Madeira.

Lisbon $3,271
Sao Joao da Madeira $2,107

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,319 in Lisbon versus $2,704 in Sao Joao da Madeira.

Lisbon $4,319
Sao Joao da Madeira $2,704

Living in Lisbon is roughly 47% more expensive than in Sao Joao da Madeira, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Sao Joao da Madeira 12% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.50 €14.67

$10.06 €8.95

64.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 €54.5

$19.79 €17.60

209.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.27 €10.03

$7.85 €6.98

43.57%

Cappuccino

$3.06 €2.72

$1.14 €1.01

168.42%

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

$2.26 €2.01

$1.09 €0.97

107.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.54

$0.97 €0.87

78.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 €3.02

$3.32 €2.95

2.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 €3.02

$2.17 €1.93

56.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 €1.00

$0.85 €0.75

31.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.65

$0.32 €0.28

481.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 €1.36

$1.14 €1.01

34.21%

Eggs

$3.96 €3.53

$2.68 €2.39

47.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.76 €11.35

$8.58 €7.63

48.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.02

$5.52 €4.91

43.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.97 €15.09

$6.51 €5.79

160.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 €2.02

$2.03 €1.81

11.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

$1.35 €1.20

29.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

$1.83 €1.63

1.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.57 €2.28

$2.85 €2.54

-9.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.65

$1.97 €1.75

-5.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 €1.80

$1.88 €1.67

7.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.28

$1.24 €1.10

16.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.73

$0.98 €0.87

-16.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.56 €5.83

$6.28 €5.59

4.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.62 €5.00

$4.53 €4.03

24.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 €1.14

$1.21 €1.07

5.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 €1.84

$1.63 €1.45

26.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 €2.09

$2.24 €1.99

4.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.18 €39.30

$39.68 €35.29

11.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 €3.55

$4.33 €3.85

-7.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 €0.97

$1.78 €1.58

-38.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.64 €14.81

$16.67 €14.83

-0.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.03

$1.90 €1.69

20.00%

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

$33.7K €30.0K

$33.1K €29.4K

1.80%

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

$39.3K €35.0K

$37.7K €33.5K

4.33%

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

$167 €149

$110 €97.7

52.51%

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

$18.80 €16.72

$16.96 €15.08

10.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.09 €29.43

$46.09 €40.99

-28.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.01 €40.93

$37.59 €33.44

22.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.19 €17.07

$15.09 €13.42

27.17%

Cinema Ticket

$9.84 €8.75

$5.44 €4.84

80.88%

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

$677 €602

$341 €303

98.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K €15.1K

$10.0K €8,932

68.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €90.1

$65.5 €58.3

54.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 €40.70

$37.57 €33.42

21.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100.0 €88.9

$82.7 €73.5

20.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €109

$98.5 €87.6

24.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 €1,436

$957 €851

68.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 €1,065

$768 €683

55.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,862 €2,545

$1,517 €1,349

88.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,990 €1,770

$1,164 €1,035

71.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,577 €6,740

$2,957 €2,631

156.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,307 €3,831

$2,267 €2,017

89.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,588 €1,412

$1,048 €932

51.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

3.55

8.45%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Last update for Sao Joao da Madeira: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9%

Sao Joao da Madeira

$768 50.8% 35.8% $429

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$269 12.1%

Sao Joao da Madeira

$184 12.2% 31.6% $85

Eating Out

Lisbon

$242 10.9%

Sao Joao da Madeira

$147 9.7% 39.4% $95

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$219 9.9%

Sao Joao da Madeira

$173 11.5% 21.2% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Sao Joao da Madeira

$128 8.5% 23.1% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$66 3%

Sao Joao da Madeira

$48 3.2% 26.2% $17

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.8%

Sao Joao da Madeira

$62 4.1% 1.8% $1.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,614 in Lisbon and $957 in Sao Joao da Madeira. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 52% 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: $61.0 in Lisbon vs $20.00 in Sao Joao da Madeira for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $184 per month, with Sao Joao da Madeira cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇵🇹 Sao Joao da Madeira

🕒 Local time

05:23 5:23 AM

Same time as Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

22,144

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Lisbon vs Sao Joao da Madeira: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Sao Joao da Madeira differ by about 47% in total monthly costs ($2,223 vs $1,510 including rent). Sao Joao da Madeira is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 52% 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: $1,614 in Lisbon versus $957 in Sao Joao da Madeira. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $677 in Lisbon versus $341 in Sao Joao da Madeira. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,510 in Sao Joao da Madeira versus $2,223 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sao Joao da Madeira but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Sao Joao da Madeira 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 Joao da Madeira 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 Joao da Madeira gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.