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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $857 in Sao Luis.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $1,298 in Sao Luis.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $1,739 in Sao Luis.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 170% more expensive than in Sao Luis, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Sao Luis is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.87

$6.40 R$32.63

170.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$38.07 R$194

66.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.79

$6.77 R$34.54

68.24%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.74

$2.17 R$11.08

47.00%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$1.23 R$6.28

99.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.67 R$3.40

162.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$1.92 R$9.77

86.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$2.32 R$11.85

46.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.06 R$5.42

16.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.84 R$9.37

7.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.06 R$5.40

43.40%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.47

$2.07 R$10.57

95.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.64

$9.82 R$50.1

37.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.21

$4.14 R$21.09

102.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.69

$7.40 R$37.74

146.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$2.02 R$10.31

13.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.33 R$6.77

30.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.16 R$5.92

60.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$1.63 R$8.29

61.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.34 R$6.82

43.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$1.25 R$6.36

67.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.85 R$4.32

69.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$0.69 R$3.52

21.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$2.33 R$11.90

190.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$8.04 R$41.02

-28.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.24 R$6.34

11.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$2.16 R$11.01

2.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$0.77 R$3.93

211.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.22

$38.05 R$194

22.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$0.93 R$4.75

348.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.90 R$4.61

26.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.20

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.17 R$5.98

98.29%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$23.2K R$118.2K

52.41%

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

$41.4K €35.6K

$29.0K R$148.1K

42.74%

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

$170 €146

$93.1 R$475

83.05%

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

$19.34 €16.62

$16.90 R$86.2

14.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.92

$20.64 R$105

62.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.35

$19.76 R$101

143.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.11

$14.51 R$74.0

37.15%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.53

$7.55 R$38.48

31.39%

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

$717 €617

$222 R$1,135

222.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$4,659 R$23.8K

275.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$47.59 R$243

120.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.36

$50.4 R$257

-6.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €88.9

$56.7 R$289

82.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$57.1 R$291

116.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,441

$343 R$1,749

388.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,093

$223 R$1,138

469.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,566

$543 R$2,769

449.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,713

$317 R$1,614

529.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,728

$1,474 R$7,519

430.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,004

$692 R$3,529

573.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,361

$375 R$1,911

322.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Sao Luis: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $343 in Sao Luis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 322% 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 $38.00 in Sao Luis for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $190 per month, with Sao Luis 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 Luis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Sao Luis differ by about 170% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $857 including rent). Sao Luis is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 322% 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: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $343 in Sao Luis. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $717 in Lisbon versus $222 in Sao Luis. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 49% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $857 in Sao Luis versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sao Luis but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Sao Luis 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 Luis 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 Luis gentler on the wallet – expenses run 170% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.