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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $774 in Sao Luis.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,169 in Sao Luis.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,564 in Sao Luis.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 186% more expensive than Sao Luis, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Sao Luis is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$5.01 R$25.36

217.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$30.50 R$154

112.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$7.33 R$37.09

43.38%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.05 R$10.38

40.00%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.95 R$4.80

135.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.55 R$2.80

172.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$1.84 R$9.29

89.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$3.19 R$16.16

21.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.96 R$4.86

18.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.92 R$9.73

-8.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.01 R$5.13

74.26%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$1.93 R$9.77

66.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.62

$9.39 R$47.49

43.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$3.70 R$18.71

113.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$7.21 R$36.49

120.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.86 R$9.43

24.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.21 R$6.10

40.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$0.96 R$4.85

109.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.37 R$6.91

79.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.11 R$5.61

65.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.24 R$6.28

61.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.79 R$4.02

144.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.57 R$2.86

38.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$2.03 R$10.25

225.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$8.03 R$40.62

-28.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.10 R$5.56

24.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.94 R$9.82

53.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.79 R$4.02

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.23

$35.80 R$181

27.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$0.94 R$4.74

356.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.50 R$2.51

64.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$6.49 R$32.84

181.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.95 R$4.79

116.84%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$17.2K R$86.9K

99.63%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$25.8K R$130.4K

52.42%

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

$148 €127

$84.0 R$425

76.04%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$17.24 R$87.2

19.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.11

$16.25 R$82.2

143.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.20

$18.13 R$91.7

163.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$15.52 R$78.5

21.91%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$5.99 R$30.32

53.26%

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

$614 €529

$204 R$1,030

201.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$4,284 R$21.7K

274.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$44.54 R$225

134.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.22

$47.88 R$242

-12.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$54.3 R$275

73.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$55.0 R$278

117.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,402

$389 R$1,970

318.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$208 R$1,053

502.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$516 R$2,609

487.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,740

$295 R$1,495

583.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,716

$1,505 R$7,614

418.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,679

$723 R$3,660

490.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,381

$381 R$1,927

321.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

10.92

-65.11%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Sao Luis: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $389 in Sao Luis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 321% 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 $31.00 in Sao Luis for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $177 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 186% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $774 including rent). Sao Luis is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 321% 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 $389 in Sao Luis. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $204 in Sao Luis. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 52% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $774 in Sao Luis versus $2,210 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 186% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.