Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Porto and Madeira

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.

93

Cost of Living Index in Porto
Learn more

Porto Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Madeira
Learn more

Madeira Living Index

Jump to prices

Porto

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,947

/mo nomad

Madeira

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,599

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Porto and in Madeira

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

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

Porto $1,947
Madeira $1,599

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

Porto $2,889
Madeira $2,361

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

Porto $3,831
Madeira $3,124

Living in Porto is roughly 22% more expensive than in Madeira, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.49 €12.10

$11.47 €10.29

17.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.3 €50.5

$46.16 €41.41

21.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.26 €10.10

$9.23 €8.28

21.99%

Cappuccino

$2.75 €2.47

$2.06 €1.84

33.50%

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

$2.33 €2.09

$1.86 €1.67

25.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.23

$1.40 €1.26

-2.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.31 €2.97

$2.26 €2.03

46.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 €3.93

$3.55 €3.19

23.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.03

$1.10 €0.99

4.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 €1.53

$1.52 €1.36

12.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 €1.29

$1.61 €1.44

-10.56%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.59

$3.02 €2.71

32.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.83 €10.61

$11.20 €10.04

5.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.89 €6.18

$7.70 €6.91

-10.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.47 €14.77

$14.02 €12.58

17.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.14 €1.92

$2.36 €2.11

-9.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 €1.42

$1.41 €1.26

12.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 €1.68

$1.85 €1.66

1.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.22

$2.50 €2.24

-1.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 €1.60

$1.52 €1.36

17.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 €1.64

$1.94 €1.74

-5.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 €1.43

$1.56 €1.40

1.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 €0.65

$0.83 €0.75

-12.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.46 €5.80

$6.14 €5.51

5.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.56 €4.99

$5.34 €4.79

4.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 €1.20

$1.24 €1.12

8.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 €2.40

$2.41 €2.16

10.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.57 €1.41

$2.27 €2.03

-30.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.59 €40.89

$42.12 €37.78

8.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.88 €3.48

$4.13 €3.71

-6.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 €0.78

$0.81 €0.73

6.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.59 €14.88

$17.47 €15.67

-5.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 €1.94

$1.91 €1.72

13.61%

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

$33.4K €30.0K

$34.7K €31.1K

-3.64%

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

$36.6K €32.8K

$39.2K €35.2K

-6.71%

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

$161 €145

$137 €123

17.49%

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

$14.69 €13.18

$21.23 €19.04

-30.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.94 €32.23

$41.41 €37.14

-13.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.34 €37.97

$44.27 €39.71

-4.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.21 €13.65

$17.51 €15.70

-13.14%

Cinema Ticket

$9.00 €8.07

$8.15 €7.31

10.43%

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

$563 €505

$476 €427

18.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K €9,415

$8,168 €7,326

28.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €90.9

$72.5 €65.0

39.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.57 €29.22

$38.12 €34.19

-14.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.2 €85.4

$92.4 €82.8

3.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 €93.2

$93.9 €84.2

10.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,314 €1,179

$910 €816

44.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$992 €890

$725 €650

36.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,301 €2,064

$1,465 €1,314

57.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,688 €1,514

$1,179 €1,058

43.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,381 €4,827

$3,005 €2,696

79.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,930 €3,525

$2,314 €2,076

69.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,601 €1,436

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.67

5.01

-26.75%

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

Last update for Porto: October 26, 2026

Last update for Madeira: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Porto

$992 51%

Madeira

$725 45.3% 27% $268

Groceries & Markets

Porto

$257 13.2%

Madeira

$246 15.4% 4.5% $11

Eating Out

Porto

$215 11%

Madeira

$176 11% 18.3% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Porto

$212 10.9%

Madeira

$200 12.5% 5.7% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Porto

$150 7.7%

Madeira

$134 8.4% 10.9% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Porto

$60 3.1%

Madeira

$61 3.8% 0.4% $0.2

Getting Around

Porto

$60 3.1%

Madeira

$59 3.7% 1.2% $0.7

Cost Breakdown

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

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

Good to know

🇵🇹 Porto

🇵🇹 Madeira

🕒 Local time

01:46 1:46 AM

Same time as Porto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

231,828

154

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Porto Madeira 1,200 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Porto
Madeira

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

All in, you’ll spend $1,947 per month in Porto versus $1,599 in Madeira – 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, Porto and Madeira 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.