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: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $866 in Sorocaba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,347 in Sorocaba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $1,829 in Sorocaba.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 162% more expensive than in Sorocaba, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Sorocaba is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.19

$6.53 R$33.57

168.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.8

$27.24 R$140

136.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.08

$8.01 R$41.21

45.44%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.82

$2.26 R$11.65

44.25%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$1.30 R$6.67

91.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.45

$0.70 R$3.59

138.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €3.01

$2.32 R$11.93

49.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.10

$3.86 R$19.85

-7.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.03

$0.95 R$4.89

24.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.69

$1.77 R$9.09

10.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$0.99 R$5.10

57.58%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.47

$2.49 R$12.79

61.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.49

$8.52 R$43.83

55.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.29

$4.16 R$21.41

102.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.78

$7.75 R$39.84

135.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.01

$2.43 R$12.49

-4.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.50

$1.82 R$9.35

-4.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.13 R$5.79

70.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.28

$1.65 R$8.48

60.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.16 R$5.97

63.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.83

$1.04 R$5.37

102.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.25

$0.68 R$3.52

111.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.75 R$3.87

6.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.07

$2.89 R$14.85

142.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.13

$5.75 R$29.56

2.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.59 R$8.16

-14.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.86

$1.93 R$9.92

11.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.06

$0.86 R$4.44

176.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €40.02

$41.01 R$211

12.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.63

$1.05 R$5.38

299.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$0.35 R$1.81

214.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.94

$6.95 R$35.74

148.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.95

$1.21 R$6.22

85.95%

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

$34.5K €29.8K

$23.4K R$120.1K

47.56%

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

$41.6K €36.0K

$32.2K R$165.8K

29.08%

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

$171 €148

$80.8 R$415

111.56%

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

$19.01 €16.45

$12.06 R$62.0

57.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.68

$19.85 R$102

72.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.98

$25.70 R$132

93.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.89

$14.74 R$75.8

32.36%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.74

$7.79 R$40.05

29.65%

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

$699 €605

$339 R$1,743

106.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.4K

$3,762 R$19.4K

372.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.6

$40.51 R$208

158.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.53

$59.6 R$307

-19.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €88.2

$86.6 R$446

17.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$73.6 R$379

74.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,438

$232 R$1,196

614.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,063

$235 R$1,206

423.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,524

$462 R$2,378

530.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,752

$402 R$2,069

402.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,037

$1,809 R$9,305

349.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €4,013

$1,255 R$6,456

269.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,402

$416 R$2,139

289.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

11.33

-66.64%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Sorocaba: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $232 in Sorocaba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 289% 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 $27.00 in Sorocaba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $187 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 162% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $866 including rent). Sorocaba is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 289% 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 $232 in Sorocaba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $339 in Sorocaba. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $866 in Sorocaba versus $2,268 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 162% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.