Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Porto Alegre and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Porto Alegre: $199 a month against $2,202 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $24,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Porto Alegre

🇸🇹 Sao Tome and Principe

$199

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Porto Alegre 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 Porto Alegre and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $199 in Porto Alegre versus $2,202 in Lisbon.

Porto Alegre $199
Lisbon $2,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $411 in Porto Alegre versus $3,274 in Lisbon.

Porto Alegre $411
Lisbon $3,274

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $623 in Porto Alegre versus $4,346 in Lisbon.

Porto Alegre $623
Lisbon $4,346

Living in Porto Alegre costs roughly 91% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Porto Alegre is 85% below, Lisbon is 62% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.04 €15.15

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.37 STN 815

$62.3 €55.4

-40.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.76 STN 126

$11.02 €9.80

-47.73%

Cappuccino

$2.48 STN 54.1

$3.12 €2.78

-20.51%

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

$1.06 STN 23.16

$2.27 €2.02

-53.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 STN 18.94

$1.74 €1.55

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.23 STN 48.56

$3.42 €3.04

-34.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 €3.33

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.04

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 STN 46.81

$1.86 €1.66

15.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.04 STN 22.63

$1.54 €1.37

-32.47%

Eggs

$2.34 STN 50.9

$4.06 €3.61

-42.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.05 STN 415

$12.91 €11.49

47.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.03

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.95 STN 260

$17.64 €15.69

-32.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 €1.68

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.27

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.29

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 €0.69

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.30 STN 50.1

$6.71 €5.97

-65.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €5.04

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 STN 23.88

$1.37 €1.22

-19.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.88

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 €2.07

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.43 €39.52

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.95 €3.51

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 €0.93

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.15 €15.26

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 €1.95

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

$33.8K €30.0K

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

$38.3K €34.0K

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

$164 €146

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

$18.48 €16.43

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.96 €29.32

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.87 €40.80

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.68 €16.61

Cinema Ticket

$9.75 €8.67

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

$684 €608

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €92.3

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.20 €41.09

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.7 €88.7

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €111

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 €1,414

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 €1,040

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,851 €2,536

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,993 €1,773

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,793 €6,932

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,418 €3,930

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,600 €1,423

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

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

Last update for Porto Alegre: October 19, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Porto Alegre

–

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1%

Groceries & Markets

Porto Alegre

–

Lisbon

$273 12.4%

Eating Out

Porto Alegre

–

Lisbon

$247 11.2%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Porto Alegre

–

Lisbon

$215 9.8%

Clothing & Footwear

Porto Alegre

–

Lisbon

$168 7.7%

Sport & Entertainment

Porto Alegre

–

Lisbon

$65 3%

Getting Around

Porto Alegre

–

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $37.00 in Porto Alegre vs $62.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $133 vs $273 per month, with Porto Alegre cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇹 Porto Alegre

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

06:55 6:55 AM

07:55 7:55 AM

1 h ahead of Porto Alegre

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

795

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Sao Tome and Principe Dobra STN Db

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 STN = 4.59 USD

100 STN = 4.08 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to STN – Sao Tome and Principe Dobra Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇹 Sao Tome and Principe Dobra (Db)

Sao Tome and Principe Dobra exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 21.8 STN (100 STN = 4.59 USD). 1 EUR = 24.51 STN (100 STN = 4.08 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to STN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Porto Alegre Lisbon 4,590 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

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Porto Alegre
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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

Porto Alegre vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Porto Alegre and Lisbon differ by about 1004% in total monthly costs ($199 vs $2,202 including rent). Porto Alegre is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $299 in Porto Alegre and $3,302 in Lisbon 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.

Dining out is cheaper in Porto Alegre – a meal for two runs $37.00 versus $62.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $199 per month in Porto Alegre versus $2,202 in Lisbon – a 1004% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $199 in Porto Alegre versus $2,202 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Porto Alegre but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Porto Alegre 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, Porto Alegre 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.

Expats usually find Porto Alegre gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1004% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.