Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Natal and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Natal: $718 a month against $2,202 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $17,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Natal
🇧🇷 Brazil
$718
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,202
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Natal and in Lisbon

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $718 in Natal versus $2,202 in Lisbon.

  • Natal $718
  • Lisbon $2,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,193 in Natal versus $3,274 in Lisbon.

  • Natal $1,193
  • Lisbon $3,274

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,668 in Natal versus $4,346 in Lisbon.

  • Natal $1,668
  • Lisbon $4,346

Living in Natal costs roughly 67% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Natal is 47% below, Lisbon is 62% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Natal
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.50 R$27.88
$17.04 €15.15
-67.72%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$37.86 R$192
$62.3 €55.4
-39.22%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.57 R$38.37
$11.02 €9.80
-31.31%
Cappuccino
$2.03 R$10.31
$3.12 €2.78
-34.94%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.09 R$5.54
$2.27 €2.02
-51.98%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.60 R$3.02
$1.74 €1.55
-65.52%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.55 R$7.84
$3.42 €3.04
-54.68%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.32 R$11.78
$3.74 €3.33
-37.97%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Natal
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.20 R$6.09
$1.17 €1.04
2.56%
White Bread (500g)
$1.22 R$6.18
$1.86 €1.66
-34.41%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.08 R$5.45
$1.54 €1.37
-29.87%
Eggs
$1.86 R$9.45
$4.06 €3.61
-54.19%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.03 R$35.63
$12.91 €11.49
-45.55%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.21 R$21.32
$7.90 €7.03
-46.71%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.01 R$40.60
$17.64 €15.69
-54.59%
Apples (1kg)
$1.43 R$7.24
$2.26 €2.01
-36.73%
Banana (1kg)
$0.96 R$4.85
$1.75 €1.55
-45.14%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.78 R$3.96
$1.89 €1.68
-58.73%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.25 R$6.35
$2.56 €2.27
-51.17%
Potato (1kg)
$1.09 R$5.53
$1.85 €1.64
-41.08%
Onion (1kg)
$1.07 R$5.40
$1.97 €1.75
-45.69%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.49 R$2.47
$1.45 €1.29
-66.21%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.58 R$2.93
$0.77 €0.69
-24.68%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.74 R$8.84
$6.71 €5.97
-74.07%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.81 R$39.57
$5.67 €5.04
37.74%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.17 R$5.92
$1.37 €1.22
-14.60%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.49 R$7.58
$2.11 €1.88
-29.38%
🚌 Getting Around
Natal
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.89 R$4.50
$2.32 €2.07
-61.64%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$29.17 R$148
$44.43 €39.52
-34.35%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.97 R$4.92
$3.95 €3.51
-75.44%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.55 R$2.80
$1.05 €0.93
-47.62%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.60 R$18.25
$17.15 €15.26
-79.01%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.30 R$6.59
$2.19 €1.95
-40.64%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.7K R$119.9K
$33.8K €30.0K
-29.96%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.9K R$172.0K
$38.3K €34.0K
-11.32%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Natal
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$54.1 R$274
$164 €146
-66.97%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.40 R$67.9
$18.48 €16.43
-27.49%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.22 R$87.3
$32.96 €29.32
-47.75%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Natal
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$22.14 R$112
$45.87 €40.80
-51.73%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$32.39 R$164
$18.68 €16.61
73.39%
Cinema Ticket
$7.88 R$39.96
$9.75 €8.67
-19.18%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Natal
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$114 R$577
$684 €608
-83.37%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,685 R$23.7K
$17.6K €15.7K
-73.42%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Natal
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$45.79 R$232
$104 €92.3
-55.86%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$47.37 R$240
$46.20 €41.09
2.53%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$76.3 R$387
$99.7 €88.7
-23.46%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$76.2 R$386
$125 €111
-38.93%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Natal
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$469 R$2,375
$1,589 €1,414
-70.52%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$175 R$888
$1,169 €1,040
-85.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$579 R$2,936
$2,851 €2,536
-79.68%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$360 R$1,823
$1,993 €1,773
-81.95%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,380 R$6,995
$7,793 €6,932
-82.29%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$882 R$4,473
$4,418 €3,930
-80.03%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Natal
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$411 R$2,083
$1,600 €1,423
-74.31%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.67
3.85
203.12%

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

Last update for Natal: October 17, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Natal
$175
Lisbon
$1.2K 567% $994
Groceries & Markets
Natal
$163
Lisbon
$273 67.4% $110
Clothing & Footwear
Natal
$111
Lisbon
$168 52.4% $58
Eating Out
Natal
$110
Lisbon
$247 125% $137
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Natal
$85
Lisbon
$215 154% $131
Sport & Entertainment
Natal
$38
Lisbon
$65 72.4% $27
Getting Around
Natal
$36
Lisbon
$63 72.6% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $469 in Natal and $1,589 in Lisbon. 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: $38.00 in Natal vs $62.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $163 vs $273 per month, with Natal cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇧🇷 Natal
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
14:13 2:13 PM
18:13 6:13 PM
4 h ahead of Natal
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
751,300
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Natal Lisbon 5,630 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Natal
  • Lisbon

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
Natal vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Natal and in Lisbon?
Natal and Lisbon differ by about 207% in total monthly costs ($718 vs $2,202 including rent). Natal is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 289% lower in Lisbon. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Natal and in Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $469 in Natal versus $1,589 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Natal and Lisbon?
Childcare runs $114 in Natal versus $684 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 67% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $1,000 per month?
At $718 in Natal versus $2,202 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Natal but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Natal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Natal and Lisbon?
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.
Is Natal or Lisbon safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Natal and Lisbon are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Natal or Lisbon?
Expats usually find Natal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 207% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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