Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Caetano do Sul and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Caetano do Sul: $1,058 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $14,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

51

Cost of Living Index in Sao Caetano do Sul
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Sao Caetano do Sul Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
Learn more

Lisbon Living Index

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Sao Caetano do Sul

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,058

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sao Caetano do Sul 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 Sao Caetano do Sul and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,058 in Sao Caetano do Sul versus $2,223 in Lisbon.

Sao Caetano do Sul $1,058
Lisbon $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,822 in Sao Caetano do Sul versus $3,271 in Lisbon.

Sao Caetano do Sul $1,822
Lisbon $3,271

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,586 in Sao Caetano do Sul versus $4,319 in Lisbon.

Sao Caetano do Sul $2,586
Lisbon $4,319

Living in Sao Caetano do Sul costs roughly 52% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sao Caetano do Sul is 22% below, Lisbon is 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.89 R$45.06

$16.50 €14.67

-46.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.00 R$203

$61.3 €54.5

-34.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.77 R$44.46

$11.27 €10.03

-22.18%

Cappuccino

$2.38 R$12.09

$3.06 €2.72

-22.22%

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

$1.33 R$6.73

$2.26 €2.01

-41.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 R$4.71

$1.73 €1.54

-46.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 R$11.94

$3.39 €3.02

-30.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 R$20.27

$3.40 €3.02

17.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R$6.01

$1.12 €1.00

6.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 R$10.40

$1.86 €1.65

10.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 R$7.31

$1.53 €1.36

-5.88%

Eggs

$2.48 R$12.55

$3.96 €3.53

-37.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.70 R$54.2

$12.76 €11.35

-16.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.43 R$27.54

$7.90 €7.02

-31.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 R$55.3

$16.97 €15.09

-35.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 R$12.10

$2.27 €2.02

5.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 R$8.74

$1.75 €1.55

-1.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 R$7.84

$1.85 €1.64

-16.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 R$10.54

$2.57 €2.28

-19.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 R$7.09

$1.86 €1.65

-24.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.41

$2.02 €1.80

-37.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 R$4.67

$1.44 €1.28

-36.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 R$4.12

$0.82 €0.73

-1.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.49 R$12.62

$6.56 €5.83

-62.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.97 R$45.45

$5.62 €5.00

59.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 R$8.88

$1.28 €1.14

36.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 R$13.06

$2.07 €1.84

24.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 R$3.47

$2.35 €2.09

-71.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.18 €39.30

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 R$6.71

$3.99 €3.55

-66.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 R$5.18

$1.09 €0.97

-6.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 R$44.93

$16.64 €14.81

-46.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 R$6.79

$2.28 €2.03

-41.23%

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

$24.5K R$124.4K

$33.7K €30.0K

-27.13%

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

$32.6K R$165.1K

$39.3K €35.0K

-17.09%

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

$103 R$522

$167 €149

-38.53%

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

$14.91 R$75.6

$18.80 €16.72

-20.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.99 R$117

$33.09 €29.43

-30.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.3 R$255

$46.01 €40.93

9.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.01 R$233

$19.19 €17.07

139.76%

Cinema Ticket

$10.14 R$51.4

$9.84 €8.75

3.05%

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

$437 R$2,215

$677 €602

-35.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.2K R$56.6K

$16.9K €15.1K

-33.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.3 R$331

$101 €90.1

-35.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.3 R$290

$45.76 €40.70

25.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.3 R$498

$100.0 €88.9

-1.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.2 R$472

$123 €109

-24.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$419 R$2,126

$1,614 €1,436

-74.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$311 R$1,575

$1,197 €1,065

-74.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$867 R$4,394

$2,862 €2,545

-69.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$868 R$4,398

$1,990 €1,770

-56.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,890 R$9,581

$7,577 €6,740

-75.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,435 R$7,276

$4,307 €3,831

-66.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$951 R$4,822

$1,588 €1,412

-40.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.81

3.85

180.78%

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

Last update for Sao Caetano do Sul: October 10, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Caetano do Sul

$311 29.4%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9% 285% $886

Groceries & Markets

Sao Caetano do Sul

$231 21.8%

Lisbon

$269 12.1% 16.7% $38

Eating Out

Sao Caetano do Sul

$155 14.6%

Lisbon

$242 10.9% 56.4% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Caetano do Sul

$141 13.4%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 17.7% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Caetano do Sul

$141 13.3%

Lisbon

$219 9.9% 55.8% $79

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Caetano do Sul

$71 6.7%

Lisbon

$66 3% 7% $4.9

Getting Around

Sao Caetano do Sul

$9.2 * 0.9%

Lisbon

$63 2.8% 587% $54

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $419 in Sao Caetano do Sul and $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 67% 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: $40.00 in Sao Caetano do Sul vs $61.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $231 vs $269 per month, with Sao Caetano do Sul cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Caetano do Sul

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

11:27 11:27 AM

15:27 3:27 PM

4 h ahead of Sao Caetano do Sul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

165,655

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sao Caetano do Sul Lisbon 7,950 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Caetano do Sul
Lisbon

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

Sao Caetano do Sul vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Caetano do Sul and Lisbon differ by about 110% in total monthly costs ($1,058 vs $2,223 including rent). Sao Caetano do Sul is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 67% lower in Lisbon. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $419 in Sao Caetano do Sul versus $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,058 per month in Sao Caetano do Sul versus $2,223 in Lisbon – a 110% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,058 in Sao Caetano do Sul versus $2,223 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sao Caetano do Sul but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Sao Caetano do Sul 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, Sao Caetano do Sul 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 Sao Caetano do Sul gentler on the wallet – expenses run 110% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.