Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madeira and Porto

For one person, living is cheaper in Madeira: $1,599 a month against $1,947 in Porto, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Madeira
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Madeira Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in Porto
Learn more

Porto Living Index

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Madeira

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,599

/mo nomad

Porto

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,947

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Madeira and in Porto

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Madeira and in Porto actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,599 in Madeira versus $1,947 in Porto.

Madeira $1,599
Porto $1,947

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Madeira versus $2,889 in Porto.

Madeira $2,361
Porto $2,889

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,124 in Madeira versus $3,831 in Porto.

Madeira $3,124
Porto $3,831

Living in Madeira costs roughly 18% less than in Porto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madeira 17% above, Porto 43% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.47 €10.30

$13.49 €12.12

-14.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.16 €41.48

$56.3 €50.5

-17.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.23 €8.29

$11.26 €10.12

-18.03%

Cappuccino

$2.06 €1.85

$2.75 €2.47

-25.09%

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

$1.86 €1.67

$2.33 €2.09

-20.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 €1.26

$1.37 €1.23

2.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 €2.03

$3.31 €2.97

-31.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.55 €3.19

$4.38 €3.93

-18.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 €0.99

$1.15 €1.04

-4.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.52 €1.37

$1.71 €1.54

-11.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 €1.45

$1.44 €1.29

11.81%

Eggs

$3.02 €2.71

$4.01 €3.60

-24.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.20 €10.06

$11.83 €10.63

-5.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.92

$6.89 €6.19

11.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.02 €12.60

$16.47 €14.79

-14.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.36 €2.12

$2.14 €1.92

10.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 €1.27

$1.58 €1.42

-10.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.67

$1.87 €1.68

-1.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.50 €2.25

$2.47 €2.22

1.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 €1.37

$1.78 €1.60

-14.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 €1.74

$1.83 €1.65

6.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 €1.40

$1.59 €1.43

-1.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.75

$0.73 €0.65

13.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.14 €5.52

$6.46 €5.81

-4.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.34 €4.80

$5.56 €4.99

-3.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 €1.12

$1.34 €1.20

-7.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.16

$2.67 €2.40

-9.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €2.04

$1.57 €1.41

44.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.12 €37.84

$45.59 €40.96

-7.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.13 €3.71

$3.88 €3.48

6.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.73

$0.86 €0.78

-5.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.47 €15.70

$16.59 €14.90

5.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 €1.72

$2.17 €1.95

-11.98%

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

$34.7K €31.2K

$33.4K €30.0K

3.77%

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

$39.2K €35.2K

$36.6K €32.8K

7.19%

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

$137 €123

$161 €145

-14.89%

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

$21.23 €19.08

$14.69 €13.20

44.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.41 €37.20

$35.94 €32.29

15.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.27 €39.78

$42.34 €38.04

4.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.51 €15.73

$15.21 €13.67

15.12%

Cinema Ticket

$8.15 €7.32

$9.00 €8.08

-9.44%

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

$476 €428

$563 €506

-15.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,168 €7,339

$10.5K €9,430

-22.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.5 €65.1

$101 €91.0

-28.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.12 €34.25

$32.57 €29.27

17.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.4 €83.0

$95.2 €85.6

-3.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.9 €84.4

$104 €93.4

-9.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$910 €818

$1,314 €1,180

-30.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 €651

$992 €892

-27.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,465 €1,317

$2,301 €2,068

-36.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,179 €1,059

$1,688 €1,517

-30.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,005 €2,700

$5,381 €4,835

-44.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,314 €2,079

$3,930 €3,531

-41.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,601 €1,438

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.01

3.67

36.51%

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

Last update for Madeira: October 26, 2026

Last update for Porto: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Madeira

$725 45.3%

Porto

$992 51% 37% $268

Groceries & Markets

Madeira

$246 15.4%

Porto

$257 13.2% 4.7% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Madeira

$200 12.5%

Porto

$212 10.9% 6% $12

Eating Out

Madeira

$176 11%

Porto

$215 11% 22.4% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Madeira

$134 8.4%

Porto

$150 7.7% 12.2% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Madeira

$61 3.8%

Porto

$60 3.1% 0.4% $0.2

Getting Around

Madeira

$59 3.7%

Porto

$60 3.1% 1.2% $0.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $910 in Madeira and $1,314 in Porto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46 in Madeira vs $56 in Porto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $246 vs $257 per month, with Madeira cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Madeira

🇵🇹 Porto

🕒 Local time

16:50 4:50 PM

Same time as Madeira

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

154

231,828

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Madeira Porto 1,200 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Madeira
Porto

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Madeira vs Porto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Madeira is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and groceries. The 22% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $2,399 in Madeira and $2,920 in Porto 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: $910 in Madeira versus $1,314 in Porto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,599 per month in Madeira versus $1,947 in Porto – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Madeira runs roughly 8% less than in Porto. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,500. Madeira is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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, Madeira and Porto 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 Madeira gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Porto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.