Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Portugal and the United States

Name: United States
Address: US

For one person, living is cheaper in Portugal: $1,742 a month against $2,734 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $11,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

83

Cost of Living Index in Portugal
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Portugal Living Index
131

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index

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🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,742

/mo nomad

🇺🇸 United States

$2,734

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Portugal and in the United States

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 the United States actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,742 per month in Portugal vs $2,734 in the United States, rent included.

Portugal $1,742
United States $2,734

A couple spends around $2,557 per month in Portugal vs $3,985 in the United States, rent included.

Portugal $2,557
United States $3,985

A family of three spends $3,373 per month in Portugal vs $5,235 in the United States, rent included.

Portugal $3,373
United States $5,235

The regional cost range is wider in the United States ($979–$5,160) than in Portugal ($1,014–$2,351), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Portugal is roughly 36% lower than in the United States on average.

Both Portugal and the United States are pricier than the global median – Portugal by 28%, the United States by 101%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.36 €11.93

$20.03 $20.03

-33.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.94 €44.60

$80.0 $80.0

-37.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.87 €8.81

$11.80 $11.80

-16.36%

Cappuccino

$2.13 €1.90

$5.55 $5.55

-61.62%

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

$1.98 €1.77

$2.66 $2.66

-25.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.19

$2.17 $2.17

-38.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.87 €2.56

$6.12 $6.12

-53.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.96

$7.94 $7.94

-58.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.97

$1.04 $1.04

3.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.58 €1.41

$3.59 $3.59

-55.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.40

$4.52 $4.52

-65.49%

Eggs

$3.33 €2.97

$4.28 $4.28

-22.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.37 €10.16

$13.22 $13.22

-13.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.72 €6.89

$12.60 $12.60

-38.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.09 €13.48

$17.60 $17.60

-14.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.19 €1.96

$5.30 $5.30

-58.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 €1.30

$1.69 $1.69

-13.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 €1.62

$4.44 $4.44

-59.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.38 €2.13

$4.77 $4.77

-50.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 €1.54

$2.97 $2.97

-41.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 €1.70

$3.15 $3.15

-39.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.32

$2.20 $2.20

-32.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 €0.65

$2.35 $2.35

-68.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.27 €5.60

$10.98 $10.98

-42.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.42 €4.84

$15.05 $15.05

-63.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 €1.16

$2.06 $2.06

-36.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.99

$3.79 $3.79

-41.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €2.05

$1.94 $1.94

18.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.82 €39.13

$59.4 $59.4

-26.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 €3.42

$3.58 $3.58

6.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 €0.96

$1.88 $1.88

-42.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.04 €15.22

$29.84 $29.84

-42.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.04 €1.82

$1.02 $1.02

100.00%

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

$33.0K €29.5K

$28.8K $28.8K

14.88%

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

$37.8K €33.7K

$26.2K $26.2K

44.19%

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

$133 €119

$218 $218

-38.96%

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

$20.11 €17.96

$62.5 $62.5

-67.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.38 €36.06

$74.5 $74.5

-45.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.96 €37.47

$41.86 $41.86

0.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.82 €14.13

$22.81 $22.81

-30.64%

Cinema Ticket

$8.70 €7.77

$14.70 $14.70

-40.82%

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

$484 €433

$1,489 $1,489

-67.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K €10.4K

$25.3K $25.3K

-54.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.1 €77.8

$54.3 $54.3

60.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.82 €35.56

$42.71 $42.71

-6.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.1 €79.6

$94.1 $94.1

-5.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 €91.7

$114 $114

-9.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 €946

$1,659 $1,659

-36.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$839 €749

$1,348 $1,348

-37.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,793 €1,601

$2,682 $2,682

-33.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 €1,197

$2,169 $2,169

-38.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,099 €3,661

$3,283 $3,283

24.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,921 €2,609

$2,482 $2,482

17.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,331 €1,189

$4,296 $4,296

-69.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.73

6.55

-43.05%

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

Last update for Portugal: October 24, 2026

Last update for the United States: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Portugal

$839 48.2%

United States

$1.3K 49.3% 60.7% $509

Groceries & Markets

Portugal

$249 14.3%

United States

$415 15.2% 67.1% $167

Eating Out

Portugal

$196 11.3%

United States

$328 12% 67.2% $132

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Portugal

$194 11.1%

United States

$355 13% 83.4% $161

Clothing & Footwear

Portugal

$143 8.2%

United States

$137 5% 4.4% $6.3

Getting Around

Portugal

$62 3.6%

United States

$80 2.9% 28.8% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Portugal

$59 3.4%

United States

$71 2.6% 20.1% $12

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $972 in Portugal vs $1,620 in the United States. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,608 in Lisbon and $2,768 in Washington, DC.

Average salary: $1,283 in Portugal vs $4,549 in the United States. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 67% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 56% more in the United States.

Public transport is 62% more expensive in the United States.

Salaries are about 3.5 times higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Portugal

🇺🇸 United States

🕒 Local time

21:24 9:24 PM

17:24 5:24 PM

4 h behind Portugal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,347,892

340,110,988

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Portugal United States 6,690 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Portugal
United States

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 United States: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Portugal is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 36% lower on average.

Housing costs more in the United States: a central one-bedroom averages $1,620 versus $972 in Portugal.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Portugal – part of why living there is about 36% cheaper overall.

$3,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Portugal, but in the United States it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

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.