For one person, living is cheaper in Portugal: $1,742 a month against $2,310 in Canada, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Portugal and in Canada actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
A single person spends $1,742 per month in Portugal vs $2,310 in Canada, rent included.
Portugal $1,742
Canada $2,310
A couple spends around $2,557 per month in Portugal vs $3,356 in Canada, rent included.
Portugal $2,557
Canada $3,356
A family of three spends $3,373 per month in Portugal vs $4,403 in Canada, rent included.
Portugal $3,373
Canada $4,403
📏
The regional cost range is wider in Canada ($889–$3,737) than in Portugal ($1,014–$2,351), so city choice matters more there.
🌍
The cost of living in Portugal is roughly 25% lower than in Canada on average.
📊
Both Portugal and Canada are pricier than the global median – Portugal by 28%, Canada by 70%.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Portugal
Canada
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.36€11.96
$18.16CA$25.38
-26.43%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$49.94€44.73
$71.2CA$99.5
-29.87%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$9.87€8.84
$10.81CA$15.11
-8.70%
Cappuccino
$2.13€1.90
$3.78CA$5.28
-43.65%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.98€1.77
$2.11CA$2.96
-6.16%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.33€1.20
$1.66CA$2.32
-19.88%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.87€2.57
$5.62CA$7.85
-48.93%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31€2.97
$5.72CA$7.99
-42.13%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Portugal
Canada
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.08€0.97
$2.17CA$3.04
-50.23%
White Bread(500g)
$1.58€1.41
$2.60CA$3.64
-39.23%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.56€1.40
$3.65CA$5.11
-57.26%
Eggs
$3.33€2.98
$3.63CA$5.07
-8.26%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$11.37€10.18
$10.76CA$15.04
5.67%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$7.72€6.91
$11.90CA$16.62
-35.13%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$15.09€13.52
$15.42CA$21.55
-2.14%
Apples(1kg)
$2.19€1.96
$4.03CA$5.63
-45.66%
Banana(1kg)
$1.46€1.31
$1.38CA$1.94
5.80%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.82€1.63
$3.88CA$5.41
-53.09%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.38€2.13
$4.08CA$5.70
-41.67%
Potato(1kg)
$1.73€1.55
$2.57CA$3.59
-32.68%
Onion(1kg)
$1.91€1.71
$2.48CA$3.46
-22.98%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.48€1.33
$2.65CA$3.70
-44.15%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.73€0.66
$1.71CA$2.40
-57.31%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$6.27€5.62
$14.32CA$20.01
-56.22%
Wine(Bottle)
$5.42€4.85
$13.49CA$18.85
-59.82%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.30€1.17
$2.84CA$3.97
-54.23%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.22€1.99
$3.30CA$4.62
-32.73%
🚌 Getting Around
Portugal
Canada
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$2.29€2.05
$2.55CA$3.57
-10.20%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$43.82€39.24
$71.9CA$101
-39.08%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.83€3.43
$3.18CA$4.44
20.44%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.08€0.97
$1.54CA$2.15
-29.87%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$17.04€15.26
$26.69CA$37.30
-36.16%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$2.04€1.83
$1.24CA$1.74
64.52%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.0K€29.6K
$27.9KCA$39.0K
18.50%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.8K€33.8K
$21.1KCA$29.4K
79.38%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Portugal
Canada
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$133€119
$147CA$206
-9.73%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.11€18.01
$41.80CA$58.4
-51.89%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$40.38€36.16
$60.2CA$84.1
-32.95%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Portugal
Canada
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$41.96€37.58
$39.01CA$54.5
7.56%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.82€14.17
$19.06CA$26.64
-17.00%
Cinema Ticket
$8.70€7.79
$11.21CA$15.66
-22.39%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Portugal
Canada
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$484€434
$721CA$1,008
-32.83%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$11.6K€10.4K
$14.8KCA$20.7K
-21.77%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Portugal
Canada
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.1€78.0
$55.3CA$77.2
57.61%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.82€35.66
$38.95CA$54.4
2.23%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$89.1€79.8
$87.4CA$122
1.97%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103€92.0
$101CA$142
1.41%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Portugal
Canada
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,060€949
$1,290CA$1,803
-17.89%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$839€751
$1,130CA$1,579
-25.78%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,793€1,606
$2,036CA$2,845
-11.94%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,341€1,201
$1,731CA$2,418
-22.53%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$4,099€3,671
$4,769CA$6,664
-14.04%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,921€2,616
$3,730CA$5,211
-21.67%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Portugal
Canada
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,331€1,192
$3,070CA$4,289
-56.63%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
3.73
4.87
-23.41%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Portugal: October 24, 2026
Last update for Canada: October 26, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Portugal
$839 48.2%
Canada
$1.1K 48.9% ↑ 34.7%$291
🛒Groceries & Markets
Portugal
$249 14.3%
Canada
$371 16.1% ↑ 49.2%$122
🍽Eating Out
Portugal
$196 11.3%
Canada
$278 12% ↑ 41.6%$82
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Portugal
$194 11.1%
Canada
$249 10.8% ↑ 28.9%$56
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Portugal
$143 8.2%
Canada
$127 5.5% ↓ 11.3%$16
🚌Getting Around
Portugal
$62 3.6%
Canada
$93 4% ↑ 49.5%$31
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Portugal
$59 3.4%
Canada
$61 2.7% ↑ 3.5%$2.1
🏠Accommodation & Living
Portugal
$1.3K 39.8%
Canada
$1.7K 39.3% ↑ 29.1%$390
🛒Groceries & Markets
Portugal
$589 17.5%
Canada
$847 19.2% ↑ 43.7%$258
🍽Eating Out
Portugal
$647 19.2%
Canada
$918 20.9% ↑ 42%$272
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Portugal
$214 6.3%
Canada
$291 6.6% ↑ 36.3%$78
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Portugal
$319 9.5%
Canada
$283 6.4% ↓ 11.2%$36
🚌Getting Around
Portugal
$129 3.8%
Canada
$191 4.3% ↑ 48.2%$62
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Portugal
$135 4%
Canada
$142 3.2% ↑ 5.5%$7.4
Cost Breakdown
🏠Average rent: $972 in Portugal vs $1,250 in Canada. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,608 in Lisbon and $1,434 in Ottawa.
💰Average salary: $1,283 in Portugal vs $2,968 in Canada. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 29% higher in Canada.
⭐Dining out costs 33% more in Canada.
⭐Public transport is 69% more expensive in Canada.
⭐Salaries are about 2.3 times higher in Canada, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Canada.
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
Portugal vs Canada: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Canada more expensive than Portugal?
Portugal is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 25% lower on average.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Housing costs more in Canada: a central one-bedroom averages $1,250 versus $972 in Portugal.
Which country is cheaper for everyday spending?
Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Portugal – part of why living there is about 25% cheaper overall.
Should I move to Canada or to Portugal?
Portugal is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.