Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Trancoso Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Trancoso

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,243 in Lisbon versus $757 in Trancoso.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,239 in Trancoso.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,387 in Lisbon versus $1,721 in Trancoso.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 196% more expensive than Trancoso, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 67% above, Trancoso is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.73 €13.42

$5.34 R$26.56

194.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 €53.9

$28.16 R$140

124.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €8.80

$6.43 R$31.97

60.50%

Cappuccino

$2.81 €2.40

$1.72 R$8.57

63.37%

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

$2.33 €1.99

$1.12 R$5.58

108.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.66 R$3.27

128.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 €2.87

$1.81 R$9.00

86.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.34

$2.63 R$13.05

48.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.92

$0.96 R$4.75

12.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.49

$1.51 R$7.48

15.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.13 R$5.61

54.87%

Eggs

$3.10 €2.64

$1.93 R$9.62

60.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.28 €11.33

$7.96 R$39.55

66.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 €6.70

$3.53 R$17.57

122.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.05 €13.69

$7.49 R$37.25

114.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$2.15 R$10.71

11.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.47

$1.25 R$6.19

37.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$1.15 R$5.70

71.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.17

$1.45 R$7.20

75.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.20 R$5.97

49.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$1.06 R$5.26

85.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 €1.67

$0.66 R$3.26

196.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.71

$0.65 R$3.24

29.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.82

$2.12 R$10.53

221.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.85 €4.99

$7.53 R$37.43

-22.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.23 R$6.10

12.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 €2.49

$2.06 R$10.23

41.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €1.95

$0.93 R$4.64

146.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.88 €39.99

$38.15 R$190

22.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 €3.51

$1.09 R$5.43

277.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.69

$0.70 R$3.49

15.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.94 €16.16

$6.29 R$31.26

201.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.78

$1.08 R$5.39

93.52%

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

$35.1K €30.0K

$21.0K R$104.5K

67.04%

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

$39.7K €33.9K

$28.2K R$139.9K

41.09%

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

$150 €128

$59.5 R$296

151.28%

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

$20.49 €17.48

$13.34 R$66.3

53.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.15 €33.40

$18.67 R$92.8

109.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.35

$22.95 R$114

116.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.47 €15.76

$21.31 R$106

-13.33%

Cinema Ticket

$9.20 €7.84

$6.17 R$30.67

49.11%

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

$624 €533

$282 R$1,400

121.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K €13.6K

$6,589 R$32.7K

141.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €87.2

$46.63 R$232

119.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 €34.87

$42.38 R$211

-3.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 €81.6

$75.2 R$374

27.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €103

$63.4 R$315

90.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 €1,410

$320 R$1,592

415.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 €1,051

$212 R$1,053

481.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,043 €2,596

$576 R$2,864

428.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,059 €1,756

$437 R$2,172

371.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,879 €6,720

$1,466 R$7,288

437.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,303 €3,671

$1,038 R$5,161

314.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,566 €1,336

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: April 21, 2026

Last update for Trancoso: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,653 in Lisbon and $320 in Trancoso. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63 in Lisbon vs $28 in Trancoso for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $270 vs $172 per month, with Trancoso 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 Trancoso: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Trancoso differ by about 196% in total monthly costs ($2,243 vs $757 including rent). Trancoso is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,365 in Lisbon and $1,135 in Trancoso to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,653 in Lisbon versus $320 in Trancoso. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $624 in Lisbon versus $282 in Trancoso. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 56% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $757 in Trancoso versus $2,243 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Trancoso but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Trancoso 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 Trancoso 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 Trancoso gentler on the wallet – expenses run 196% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.