Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Christiansted and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,202 a month against $2,415 in Christiansted, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Christiansted outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

144

Cost of Living Index in Christiansted
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Christiansted Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Christiansted

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$2,415

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,415 in Christiansted versus $2,202 in Lisbon.

Christiansted $2,415
Lisbon $2,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,778 in Christiansted versus $3,274 in Lisbon.

Christiansted $2,778
Lisbon $3,274

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,140 in Christiansted versus $4,346 in Lisbon.

Christiansted $3,140
Lisbon $4,346

Living in Christiansted is roughly 10% more expensive than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Christiansted 78% above, Lisbon 62% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.14 $25.14

$17.04 €15.15

47.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$125 $125

$62.3 €55.4

101.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.19 $12.19

$11.02 €9.80

10.62%

Cappuccino

$4.53 $4.53

$3.12 €2.78

45.19%

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

$2.94 $2.94

$2.27 €2.02

29.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.74 €1.55

17.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.86 $6.86

$3.42 €3.04

100.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 $5.91

$3.74 €3.33

58.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.97 $2.97

$1.17 €1.04

153.85%

White Bread (500g)

$4.61 $4.61

$1.86 €1.66

147.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 €1.37

Eggs

$12.95 $12.95

$4.06 €3.61

218.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.91 €11.49

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.90 $9.90

$7.90 €7.03

25.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.64 €15.69

Apples (1kg)

$5.01 $5.01

$2.26 €2.01

121.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

Oranges (1kg)

$4.42 $4.42

$1.89 €1.68

133.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.02 $6.02

$2.56 €2.27

135.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

Onion (1kg)

$4.74 $4.74

$1.97 €1.75

140.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.45 €1.29

124.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 €0.69

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.71 €5.97

Wine (Bottle)

$12.21 $12.21

$5.67 €5.04

115.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.37 €1.22

10.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.88

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 €2.07

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.43 €39.52

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.95 €3.51

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 €0.93

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.15 €15.26

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$2.19 €1.95

-52.97%

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

$33.8K €30.0K

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

$38.3K €34.0K

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

$814 $814

$164 €146

397.01%

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

$60.5 $60.5

$18.48 €16.43

227.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.0 $51.0

$32.96 €29.32

54.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.87 €40.80

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.68 €16.61

Cinema Ticket

$9.75 €8.67

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

$684 €608

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.4 $50.4

$104 €92.3

-51.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$11.84 $11.84

$46.20 €41.09

-74.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.7 €88.7

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €111

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 $1,000

$1,589 €1,414

-37.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$799 $799

$1,169 €1,040

-31.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,851 €2,536

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,993 €1,773

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,793 €6,932

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,418 €3,930

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,492 $2,492

$1,600 €1,423

55.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

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

Last update for Christiansted: October 19, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Christiansted

$926 38.3%

Lisbon

$215 9.8% 76.7% $710

Accommodation & Living

Christiansted

$799 33.1%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1% 46.3% $370

Eating Out

Christiansted

$358 14.8%

Lisbon

$247 11.2% 30.9% $111

Groceries & Markets

Christiansted

$304 * 12.6%

Lisbon

$273 12.4% 10.3% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Christiansted

$28 * 1.2%

Lisbon

$168 7.7% 502% $140

Getting Around

Christiansted

- * 0%

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Sport & Entertainment

Christiansted

- * 0%

Lisbon

$65 3%

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 $1,000 in Christiansted and $1,589 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Christiansted pays 56% 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: $125 in Christiansted vs $62.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $304 vs $273 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇮 Christiansted

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

10:23 10:23 AM

15:23 3:23 PM

5 h ahead of Christiansted

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,866

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Christiansted Lisbon 5,820 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Christiansted
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

Christiansted vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Christiansted and Lisbon differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($2,415 vs $2,202 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 56% higher in Christiansted, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,000 in Christiansted versus $1,589 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Lisbon – a meal for two runs $62.0 versus $125 in Christiansted. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,415 per month in Christiansted versus $2,202 in Lisbon – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,202 in Lisbon versus $2,415 in Christiansted, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Christiansted. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon 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, Christiansted 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 Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Christiansted. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.