Pay by Role
Skilled Trades · Portugal

Chef Salary in Lisbon, PT

The average chef in Lisbon, PT earns $42,427 per year — about $2,623 /mo after a simplified national tax estimate. Chefs plan menus, prepare food, and lead kitchen teams.

Showing amounts in USD (USD default; source data is EUR). FX as of Mon, 13 Jul 2026 00:02:31 +0000. Convert currencies

After tax?

$31,821/yr

~25% effective national income tax on the median. Excludes most payroll/social levies and local taxes.

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Afford rent?

$1,654/mo 1BR

About 63% of estimated take-home — budget looks tight with ~$844 short /mo after modeled costs. Modeled, not a listing.

Cost of living calculator →

Compared with…?

% vs Lisbon median (FX-adjusted abroad).

Average salary
$42,427
gross / year
Est. take-home
$31,821
~25% effective tax
Hourly equivalent
$19.39
based on 2,080 hrs/yr
vs. Portugal avg
-26%
below average

Gross salary figures come from public labour-market data. Take-home, rent, savings, inflation, and trends are simplified models for research — not payroll, listings, or immigration advice. Methodology.

Chef salary range in Lisbon

Pay varies with experience, employer, and specialization. Here is the typical distribution for this role in Lisbon, PT.

$29,65410TH$35,12825TH$42,427MEDIAN$51,21075TH$60,67690TH
Estimated pay distribution — the curve peaks at the median and widens with the pay range.
PercentileAnnual salary
10th percentile (entry)$29,654
25th percentile$35,128
Median (50th)typical$42,427
75th percentile$51,210
90th percentile (senior)$60,676

How does your salary compare?

Enter what you earn (or an offer) to see where it ranks for a chef in Lisbon, PT.

Your percentile
50th

$42,427 puts you in the 50th percentile. You earn more than about 50% of chefs in Lisbon, PT. That’s right around the typical pay for this role.

$29,654$42,427$60,676

Salary insights

A typical chef in Lisbon, PT earns about 37 200 € a year and pays about 26% below the Portugal average. Living costs sit near the global baseline (COL index 100). After a simplified tax estimate, typical rent, and everyday costs, the median paycheck looks tight — higher senior pay or lower housing costs would matter a lot here. Relative to the national median (a common remote/location-flexible benchmark), this city pays less by about 26%. An illustrative model tied to local inflation and the role’s outlook suggests pay has risen about 12% over the last few years. Treat every figure as an estimate for research — not a personal offer or immigration advice.

Data-grounded summary from this page’s pay, COL, tax, and trend models — not a generative essay unrelated to the figures.

Cost of living, rent & savings

Lisbon’s cost of living is 100 vs. a baseline of 100 (US national average). After adjusting for local prices, the median chef salary is worth about $42,427 in baseline-priced terms.

Est. rent (1BR)
$1,654/mo
Other living costs
$1,848/mo
Savings potential
-$844/mo after tax & costs

Rent and leftover use a COL-scaled single-adult model and the same simplified tax estimate as above (Flat ~25% effective-rate estimate. Rough national income-tax estimate; excludes social security, local taxes, and credits.). Adjust assumptions in the COL calculator.

Inflation

Approximate recent consumer-price inflation in Portugal is about 2.3% per year. Use the inflation calculator to adjust a past salary or offer for purchasing power.

Remote equivalent

The Portugal national median for this role is about $57,482— a common benchmark for remote or location-flexible offers. Local Lisbon pay is 26% lower.

Historical trend

Illustrative median pay over the last few years — about +12% across the window.

$37,979
2022
$39,006
2023
$40,146
2024
$41,287
2025
$42,427
2026

Illustrative model based on approximate inflation and the role’s long-term outlook — not a surveyed year-by-year history.

Visa information

Employer-sponsored work visa

Skilled foreign workers usually need a job offer and an employer-sponsored work authorisation. Rules, quotas, and salary thresholds change often — confirm on the official government immigration site before relocating.

Difficulty for typical skilled hires: moderate. General orientation only — confirm on the official Portugal immigration site before relocating or accepting an offer.

Compare Chef pay

See how a chef stacks up against similar skilled trades roles in Portugal.

What’s your take-home?

Calculator opens with this page’s median ($42,427) and Portugal tax model — tweak hours, period, or offer amount.

Chef salary in other Portugal cities

Same role, different city — % gap is vs Lisbon.

CityMedian
Braga, PT$57,482/yr
Amadora, PT$57,482/yr
Coimbra, PT$57,482/yr
Leiria, PT$57,482/yr
Setúbal, PT$57,482/yr
Funchal, PT$57,482/yr
Viseu, PT$57,482/yr
Queluz, PT$57,482/yr

Chef salary in other countries

Capital/largest city sample for each market. % gap converts foreign medians into EUR before comparing with Lisbon.

CountryLocal median
Switzerland flagSwitzerlande.g. Zürich$127,272/yr
Norway flagNorwaye.g. Oslo$109,420/yr
United States flagUnited Statese.g. Los Angeles$105,000/yr
Israel flagIsraele.g. Jerusalem$90,652/yr
Denmark flagDenmarke.g. Copenhagen$89,281/yr
Australia flagAustraliae.g. Sydney$85,358/yr
Belgium flagBelgiume.g. Brussels$84,057/yr
Singapore flagSingaporee.g. Singapore$80,468/yr
United Kingdom flagUnited Kingdome.g. London$80,322/yr
Netherlands flagNetherlandse.g. Rotterdam$79,723/yr

Related Skilled Trades jobs in Lisbon

Job openings & next moves

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Calculators and comparisons to dig into take-home pay, living costs, and period conversions.

Frequently asked questions

What is the average chef salary in Lisbon, PT?
The average chef salary in Lisbon, PT is about 37 200 € per year, or roughly 17,00 € per hour.
What is the salary range for a chef in Lisbon, PT?
Most chef salaries in Lisbon, PT fall between 26 000 € (entry level) and 53 200 € (senior level). The 25th–75th percentile band is 30 800 € to 44 900 €.
How much does a chef make per month in Lisbon, PT?
A typical chef in Lisbon, PT earns about 3100 € per month before tax, based on the annual median of 37 200 €.
How does Lisbon, PT pay compare to the Portugal average?
Lisbon, PT pays about 26% below the Portugal average for a chef.
What is the cost-of-living-adjusted chef salary in Lisbon, PT?
After adjusting for local prices (cost-of-living index 100, where 100 is the US baseline), the median chef salary in Lisbon, PT is worth roughly 37 200 € in US-baseline terms.
What skills do chefs need?
Common skills for a chef include Cooking, Menu design, Leadership, Food safety, Speed. Actual requirements vary by employer and seniority.
Is chef a growing career?
Employment for chef roles is projected to change by about +5% over the next decade. Local demand in Lisbon, PT can differ from the national outlook.
What is take-home pay for a chef in Lisbon, PT?
A simplified national income-tax estimate puts median take-home near 27 900 € per year (about 2300 € per month), or roughly 25% effective tax on the gross median. Real net pay varies with local taxes, benefits, and filing status.
How much rent might a chef pay in Lisbon, PT?
A modeled modest 1-bedroom runs about 1450 € per month in Lisbon, PT, scaled from a US baseline by the local cost-of-living index (100). Actual listings vary by neighborhood and size.
Where do these Lisbon, PT salary figures come from?
Figures on Pay by Role are aggregated from public labour-market salary APIs, shown in EUR, and refreshed periodically. They are estimates for informational purposes only and are not a guarantee of individual pay.