Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sao Luis

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Luis: $832 a month against $2,202 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $16,400 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
40

Cost of Living Index in Sao Luis
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Sao Luis Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

Sao Luis

🇧🇷 Brazil

$832

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Luis actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,202 in Lisbon versus $832 in Sao Luis.

Lisbon $2,202
Sao Luis $832

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,274 in Lisbon versus $1,317 in Sao Luis.

Lisbon $3,274
Sao Luis $1,317

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $1,802 in Sao Luis.

Lisbon $4,346
Sao Luis $1,802

Living in Lisbon is roughly 165% more expensive than in Sao Luis, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 62% above, Sao Luis is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.04 €15.15

$6.64 R$33.64

156.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 €55.4

$40.14 R$203

55.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 €9.80

$6.89 R$34.93

59.94%

Cappuccino

$3.12 €2.78

$2.13 R$10.80

46.48%

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

$2.27 €2.02

$1.22 R$6.20

86.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.55

$0.71 R$3.60

145.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 €3.04

$1.95 R$9.87

75.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 €3.33

$2.43 R$12.31

53.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.05 R$5.33

11.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.66

$1.98 R$10.06

-6.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 €1.37

$1.14 R$5.80

35.09%

Eggs

$4.06 €3.61

$2.21 R$11.21

83.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.91 €11.49

$9.82 R$49.77

31.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.03

$4.31 R$21.87

83.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.64 €15.69

$7.89 R$39.99

123.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

$2.17 R$11.02

4.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

$1.38 R$7.02

26.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 €1.68

$1.20 R$6.08

57.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.27

$1.69 R$8.58

51.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

$1.39 R$7.03

33.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$1.27 R$6.45

55.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.29

$0.88 R$4.46

64.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 €0.69

$0.77 R$3.88

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.71 €5.97

$2.36 R$11.97

184.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €5.04

$8.07 R$40.90

-29.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.22

$1.27 R$6.44

7.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.88

$2.25 R$11.42

-6.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 €2.07

$0.85 R$4.30

172.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.43 €39.52

$37.93 R$192

17.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.95 €3.51

$0.95 R$4.83

315.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 €0.93

$0.92 R$4.66

14.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.15 €15.26

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 €1.95

$1.24 R$6.29

76.61%

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

$33.8K €30.0K

$23.8K R$120.7K

41.87%

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

$38.3K €34.0K

$30.7K R$155.9K

24.46%

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

$164 €146

$95.3 R$483

71.98%

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

$18.48 €16.43

$17.60 R$89.2

5.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.96 €29.32

$21.13 R$107

55.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.87 €40.80

$20.40 R$103

124.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.68 €16.61

$15.06 R$76.4

24.04%

Cinema Ticket

$9.75 €8.67

$6.76 R$34.25

44.23%

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

$684 €608

$184 R$935

270.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.7K

$2,903 R$14.7K

507.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €92.3

$64.5 R$327

60.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.20 €41.09

$54.2 R$275

-14.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.7 €88.7

$76.1 R$386

31.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €111

$59.2 R$300

110.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 €1,414

$360 R$1,824

341.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 €1,040

$184 R$930

536.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,851 €2,536

$577 R$2,923

394.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,993 €1,773

$322 R$1,635

518.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,793 €6,932

$1,529 R$7,749

409.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,418 €3,930

$717 R$3,633

516.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,600 €1,423

$394 R$1,998

305.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Last update for Sao Luis: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1%

Sao Luis

$184 22.1% 84.3% $986

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$273 12.4%

Sao Luis

$197 23.7% 27.7% $76

Eating Out

Lisbon

$247 11.2%

Sao Luis

$122 14.6% 50.8% $126

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$215 9.8%

Sao Luis

$134 16.1% 37.8% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$168 7.7%

Sao Luis

$114 13.8% 32.2% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$65 3%

Sao Luis

$34 4.1% 48.1% $31

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Sao Luis

$47 5.6% 25.5% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,589 in Lisbon and $360 in Sao Luis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 306% 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 Luis for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $197 per month, with Sao Luis cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇧🇷 Sao Luis

🕒 Local time

15:17 3:17 PM

11:17 11:17 AM

4 h behind Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

1,037,775

💱 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 Luis 5,830 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
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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 Luis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Sao Luis differ by about 165% in total monthly costs ($2,202 vs $832 including rent). Sao Luis is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 306% 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 $360 in Sao Luis. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $684 in Lisbon versus $184 in Sao Luis. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $832 in Sao Luis versus $2,202 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 165% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.