Cost of Living Comparison Between Porto and Matosinhos Cost of Living Comparison Between Porto and Matosinhos

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,848 in Porto versus $1,821 in Matosinhos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,758 in Porto versus $2,664 in Matosinhos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,669 in Porto versus $3,507 in Matosinhos.

Living in Porto is roughly 1% more expensive than in Matosinhos, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Porto 38% above, Matosinhos 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.75 €10.29

$11.46 €10.04

2.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.8 €49.78

$45.40 €39.77

25.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.25 €8.10

$9.14 €8.00

1.20%

Cappuccino

$2.29 €2.01

$2.29 €2.00

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

$2.08 €1.82

$2.05 €1.79

1.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 €1.37

$1.42 €1.25

9.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 €2.96

$2.85 €2.50

18.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 €2.98

$3.43 €3.01

-0.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 €0.97

$1.10 €0.96

0.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 €1.27

$1.75 €1.53

-17.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 €1.45

$1.62 €1.42

1.85%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.76

$3.02 €2.65

4.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.06 €10.56

$11.30 €9.90

6.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.44 €6.52

$7.39 €6.47

0.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.11 €13.23

$13.93 €12.20

8.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.21 €1.94

$2.10 €1.84

5.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 €1.22

$1.41 €1.24

-1.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 €1.55

$1.82 €1.59

-2.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.35 €2.06

$2.37 €2.07

-0.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 €1.47

$1.30 €1.14

29.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 €1.65

$1.84 €1.61

2.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.32

$1.49 €1.31

1.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.80 €0.70

6.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.39 €5.59

$6.23 €5.45

2.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.80 €5.08

$5.56 €4.87

4.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 €1.03

$1.09 €0.96

8.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 €2.00

$2.35 €2.06

-2.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.11 €1.84

$1.88 €1.64

12.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.25 €40.51

$34.87 €30.53

32.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.57

$3.93 €3.44

3.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 €0.67

$0.74 €0.65

2.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.63 €15.44

$14.44 €12.64

22.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.04 €1.79

$2.00 €1.75

2.00%

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

$35.3K €30.9K

$34.2K €30.0K

3.26%

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

$38.4K €33.7K

$38.6K €33.8K

-0.31%

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

$141 €123

$138 €120

2.35%

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

$22.30 €19.53

$21.56 €18.88

3.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.35 €38.84

$42.00 €36.79

5.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.35 €37.96

$46.39 €40.63

-6.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.34 €14.31

Cinema Ticket

$9.03 €7.91

$8.16 €7.15

10.66%

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

$516 €451

$346 €303

49.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K €9,197

$8,424 €7,378

24.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$112 €97.9

$74.3 €65.1

50.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.15 €30.78

$34.98 €30.63

0.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 €80.1

$92.9 €81.4

-1.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 €97.1

-0.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,188 €1,041

$1,134 €993

4.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$913 €800

$947 €830

-3.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,182 €1,911

$1,963 €1,719

11.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 €1,378

$1,651 €1,446

-4.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,297 €4,639

$4,311 €3,776

22.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,990 €3,495

$3,936 €3,447

1.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,590 €1,392

$1,191 €1,043

33.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

5.29

-28.36%

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

Last update for Porto: July 14, 2026

Last update for Matosinhos: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,188 in Porto and $1,134 in Matosinhos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Porto pays 33% 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: $57.0 in Porto vs $45.00 in Matosinhos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $242 per month, with Matosinhos 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

Porto vs Matosinhos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Matosinhos is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 33% higher in Porto, 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: $1,188 in Porto versus $1,134 in Matosinhos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,848 per month in Porto versus $1,821 in Matosinhos – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Matosinhos runs roughly 33% less than in Porto. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,821 in Matosinhos versus $1,848 in Porto, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Matosinhos but tight or insufficient in Porto. The gap between the two cities makes Matosinhos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Matosinhos is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Porto, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Porto and Matosinhos 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 Matosinhos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Porto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.