Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sorocaba Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sorocaba

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $679 in Sorocaba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,108 in Sorocaba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,538 in Sorocaba.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 226% more expensive than Sorocaba, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Sorocaba is 49% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$5.42 R$27.13

193.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$26.06 R$130

148.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$5.33 R$26.67

97.19%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$1.59 R$7.95

80.50%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$1.25 R$6.27

79.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.52 R$2.59

188.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$1.84 R$9.20

89.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$3.39 R$16.98

14.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.86 R$4.30

32.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.59 R$7.94

10.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$0.88 R$4.39

100.00%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.01 R$10.08

60.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$8.15 R$40.77

65.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$3.71 R$18.56

113.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$5.61 R$28.06

182.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.18 R$10.89

5.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.65 R$8.27

3.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.00 R$4.99

101.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.18 R$5.91

108.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.16 R$5.79

58.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.13 R$5.63

76.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.68 R$3.41

183.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.61 R$3.04

29.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$2.74 R$13.72

141.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$5.88 R$29.45

-2.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.00 R$5.03

37.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.72 R$8.61

72.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.82 R$4.11

189.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$37.24 R$186

22.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$0.87 R$4.36

393.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.29 R$1.44

182.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$6.34 R$31.71

188.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.00 R$5.03

106.00%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$22.2K R$111.2K

54.33%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$28.8K R$144.0K

36.56%

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

$148 €127

$47.33 R$237

212.42%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$11.72 R$58.6

75.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$15.97 R$79.9

148.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$22.95 R$115

108.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$8.92 R$44.66

112.11%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$5.49 R$27.46

67.21%

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

$614 €528

$318 R$1,594

92.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$5,015 R$25.1K

220.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$37.44 R$187

179.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$50.6 R$253

-16.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$78.8 R$394

19.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$69.1 R$346

73.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$213 R$1,068

662.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$165 R$824

662.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$427 R$2,138

609.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$366 R$1,832

451.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$1,851 R$9,261

321.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$1,324 R$6,625

222.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$433 R$2,165

270.63%

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 Sorocaba: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $213 in Sorocaba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 271% 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 $26.00 in Sorocaba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $162 per month, with Sorocaba 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 Sorocaba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Sorocaba differ by about 226% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $679 including rent). Sorocaba is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 271% 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 $213 in Sorocaba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $318 in Sorocaba. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 66% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $679 in Sorocaba versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sorocaba but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Sorocaba 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 Sorocaba 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 Sorocaba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 226% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.