The cost of living in Portugal is the lowest among the Schengen countries in the European Union. According to statistics, a student's annual food expenses are generally around 1,200 euros; if several students cook together, the cost will be even lower. Transportation is also very affordable; a monthly subway pass in the city costs only 12 euros, with additional discounts available for students. If a student needs internet access in their dormitory, applying for a 750kb/s ADSL dedicated line costs 35 euros per month, which is very economical when shared among several classmates.
The costs of some food items are as follows:
Rice: 0.50--0.85 euros/kg
Fresh milk: 0.60--0.75 euros/liter
Potatoes: 0.15--0.50 euros/kg
Chicken: 1.50--2.50 euros/kg
Fresh oranges: 0.45--0.75 euros/kg
Watermelon: 0.15--0.45 euros/kg
A 33cl bottle of beer: 0.45 euros
Regarding fast food, taking McDonald's as an example, a Big Mac meal costs about 6.5 euros in the Netherlands, Germany, or France, while it is only 5.5 euros in Portugal.
For international calls, an international calling card costs 10 euros and provides 320 minutes of calls to China or 500 minutes to European countries.