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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $726 in Serra.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,102 in Serra.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,478 in Serra.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 205% more expensive than Serra, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Serra is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$4.45 R$22.29

257.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$20.97 R$105

208.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$6.46 R$32.30

62.69%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$1.72 R$8.62

66.86%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.71 R$3.55

215.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.53 R$2.64

183.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$0.82 R$4.11

325.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$3.26 R$16.31

19.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.85 R$4.25

34.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.51 R$7.58

15.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.01 R$5.06

74.26%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$1.60 R$8.03

101.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$7.53 R$37.71

79.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$3.77 R$18.86

109.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$6.31 R$31.57

151.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.13 R$10.64

8.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.38 R$6.88

23.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.22 R$6.12

64.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.43 R$7.15

72.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.09 R$5.48

68.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.20 R$6.02

66.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.63 R$3.13

206.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.53 R$2.64

49.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$2.19 R$10.97

201.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$5.82 R$29.11

-1.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$0.94 R$4.70

45.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.21 R$6.07

145.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.87 R$4.33

172.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$42.17 R$211

8.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$1.15 R$5.74

273.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.91 R$4.57

-9.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$3.73 R$18.64

390.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.99 R$4.94

108.08%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$21.5K R$107.4K

59.67%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$30.3K R$151.6K

29.71%

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

$148 €127

$105 R$523

41.37%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$11.48 R$57.4

78.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$17.50 R$87.6

126.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$35.78 R$179

33.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$26.58 R$133

-28.82%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$4.47 R$22.37

105.37%

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

$614 €528

$167 R$836

267.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$6,380 R$31.9K

151.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$36.76 R$184

184.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$54.0 R$270

-22.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$80.7 R$404

16.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$70.6 R$353

69.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$227 R$1,134

618.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$134 R$672

835.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$402 R$2,010

654.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$196 R$980

931.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$963 R$4,821

709.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$563 R$2,820

658.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$557 R$2,790

187.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

10.38

-63.29%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Serra: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $227 in Serra. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 188% 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 $21.00 in Serra for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $159 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 205% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $726 including rent). Serra is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 188% 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 $227 in Serra. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $167 in Serra. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 70% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $726 in Serra versus $2,210 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 205% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.