Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Serra Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Serra

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $839 in Serra.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,244 in Serra.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $1,648 in Serra.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Serra is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.19

$4.86 R$24.98

261.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.8

$22.77 R$117

183.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.08

$7.80 R$40.10

49.36%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.82

$1.97 R$10.12

65.48%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$1.22 R$6.26

104.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.45

$0.57 R$2.92

192.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €3.01

$1.94 R$10.00

78.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.10

$2.88 R$14.80

24.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.03

$1.13 R$5.82

4.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.69

$1.76 R$9.06

10.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.08 R$5.54

44.44%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.47

$2.02 R$10.40

98.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.49

$10.21 R$52.5

29.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.29

$4.24 R$21.80

98.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.78

$8.04 R$41.35

126.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.01

$2.87 R$14.75

-19.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.50

$1.43 R$7.35

20.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.81 R$9.31

6.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.28

$1.50 R$7.73

76.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.14 R$5.88

66.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.83

$1.09 R$5.59

93.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.25

$1.22 R$6.30

18.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$1.28 R$6.58

-37.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.07

$2.38 R$12.23

194.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.13

$5.64 R$29.00

4.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$0.93 R$4.77

46.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.86

$3.27 R$16.80

-34.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.06

$0.94 R$4.82

153.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €40.02

$46.09 R$237

0.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.63

$1.21 R$6.24

246.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$1.05 R$5.39

4.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.94

$7.75 R$39.87

122.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.95

$1.08 R$5.56

108.33%

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

$34.5K €29.8K

$22.5K R$115.5K

53.52%

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

$41.6K €36.0K

$32.6K R$167.8K

27.54%

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

$171 €148

$147 R$758

15.93%

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

$19.01 €16.45

$11.92 R$61.3

59.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.68

$20.47 R$105

67.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.98

$24.59 R$126

101.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.89

$26.90 R$138

-27.47%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.74

$6.87 R$35.32

47.02%

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

$699 €605

$178 R$914

293.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.4K

$7,367 R$37.9K

141.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.6

$52.5 R$270

99.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.53

$48.72 R$251

-1.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €88.2

$90.4 R$465

12.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$71.2 R$366

80.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,438

$238 R$1,226

596.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,063

$142 R$730

765.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,524

$417 R$2,143

599.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,752

$214 R$1,099

846.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,037

$943 R$4,850

762.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €4,013

$532 R$2,737

770.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,402

$534 R$2,745

203.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

11.12

-66.01%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Serra: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $238 in Serra. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 203% 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: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $23.00 in Serra for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $203 per month, with Serra 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 Serra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Serra differ by about 170% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $839 including rent). Serra is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 203% 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $238 in Serra. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $178 in Serra. 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 $839 in Serra versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Serra but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Serra 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 Serra 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 Serra 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.