Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Varginha Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Varginha

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $609 in Varginha.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $975 in Varginha.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $1,341 in Varginha.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 265% more expensive than Varginha, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Varginha is 54% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.84

$6.25 R$31.18

158.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$21.56 R$108

199.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$6.31 R$31.51

64.50%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$0.94 R$4.68

194.68%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$0.83 R$4.14

171.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.55 R$2.76

185.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

$1.29 R$6.44

170.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

$3.33 R$16.64

20.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.12 R$5.59

-3.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.45 R$7.26

20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$0.88 R$4.40

97.73%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$1.34 R$6.66

137.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$7.81 R$38.99

71.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$3.78 R$18.87

111.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

$7.35 R$36.67

118.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$1.23 R$6.16

85.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.27 R$6.36

35.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$0.86 R$4.30

125.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$1.13 R$5.66

124.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$0.85 R$4.24

115.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.93 R$4.64

119.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$0.47 R$2.33

321.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.55 R$2.72

54.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$2.00 R$9.98

242.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

$5.02 R$25.05

15.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.02 R$5.07

34.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$1.66 R$8.30

74.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$0.82 R$4.09

178.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

$38.44 R$192

21.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$0.87 R$4.34

368.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.62 R$3.09

32.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$5.91 R$29.47

209.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$1.05 R$5.24

91.43%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$22.3K R$111.2K

58.22%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$26.6K R$132.7K

44.68%

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

$145 €124

$46.61 R$233

211.95%

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

$20.96 €17.94

$4.43 R$22.11

373.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$17.80 R$88.8

125.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

$22.86 R$114

113.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

$21.46 R$107

-12.91%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$5.29 R$26.42

71.27%

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

$607 €519

$195 R$975

210.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$3,925 R$19.6K

316.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$32.96 R$164

217.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$52.0 R$259

-21.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$71.9 R$359

30.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$53.6 R$267

121.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

$134 R$668

1098.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

$106 R$531

1061.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

$246 R$1,227

1138.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

$230 R$1,150

792.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

$1,644 R$8,206

368.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

$1,202 R$5,998

254.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

$462 R$2,303

243.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

-61.90%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 26, 2026

Last update for Varginha: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $134 in Varginha. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 243% 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 $22.00 in Varginha for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $153 per month, with Varginha 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 Varginha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Varginha differ by about 265% in total monthly costs ($2,227 vs $609 including rent). Varginha is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 243% 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: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $134 in Varginha. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $607 in Lisbon versus $195 in Varginha. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 77% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $609 in Varginha versus $2,227 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Varginha but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Varginha 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 Varginha 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 Varginha gentler on the wallet – expenses run 265% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.