Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cruz Bay and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,202 a month against $2,889 in Cruz Bay, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Cruz Bay
🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands
$2,889
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,202
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,889 in Cruz Bay versus $2,202 in Lisbon.

  • Cruz Bay $2,889
  • Lisbon $2,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,680 in Cruz Bay versus $3,274 in Lisbon.

  • Cruz Bay $4,680
  • Lisbon $3,274

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,471 in Cruz Bay versus $4,346 in Lisbon.

  • Cruz Bay $6,471
  • Lisbon $4,346

Living in Cruz Bay is roughly 31% more expensive than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cruz Bay 113% above, Lisbon 62% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cruz Bay
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$30.27 $30.27
$17.04 €15.15
77.64%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$91.8 $91.8
$62.3 €55.4
47.33%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$17.12 $17.12
$11.02 €9.80
55.35%
Cappuccino
$8.84 $8.84
$3.12 €2.78
183.33%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 $2.91
$2.27 €2.02
28.19%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.98 $3.98
$1.74 €1.55
128.74%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.19 $8.19
$3.42 €3.04
139.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.95 $8.95
$3.74 €3.33
139.30%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cruz Bay
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$7.80 $7.80
$1.17 €1.04
566.67%
White Bread (500g)
-
$1.86 €1.66
-
Rice (white) (1kg)
-
$1.54 €1.37
-
Eggs
$5.03 $5.03
$4.06 €3.61
23.89%
Local Cheese (1kg)
-
$12.91 €11.49
-
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$15.56 $15.56
$7.90 €7.03
96.96%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
-
$17.64 €15.69
-
Apples (1kg)
$8.88 $8.88
$2.26 €2.01
292.92%
Banana (1kg)
-
$1.75 €1.55
-
Oranges (1kg)
-
$1.89 €1.68
-
Tomato (1kg)
-
$2.56 €2.27
-
Potato (1kg)
-
$1.85 €1.64
-
Onion (1kg)
-
$1.97 €1.75
-
Lettuce (1 head)
-
$1.45 €1.29
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
-
$0.77 €0.69
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
-
$6.71 €5.97
-
Wine (Bottle)
$24.92 $24.92
$5.67 €5.04
339.51%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.37 €1.22
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.11 €1.88
-
🚌 Getting Around
Cruz Bay
Lisbon
Difference
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)
-
$2.19 €1.95
-
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
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cruz Bay
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$354 $354
$164 €146
116.01%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$140 $140
$18.48 €16.43
658.55%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$60.3 $60.3
$32.96 €29.32
82.83%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cruz Bay
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$89.3 $89.3
$45.87 €40.80
94.62%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$18.68 €16.61
-
Cinema Ticket
-
$9.75 €8.67
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cruz Bay
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
-
$684 €608
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.2K $13.2K
$17.6K €15.7K
-25.07%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cruz Bay
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
-
$104 €92.3
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
-
$46.20 €41.09
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
-
$99.7 €88.7
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
-
$125 €111
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cruz Bay
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,820 $1,820
$1,589 €1,414
14.52%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,489 $1,489
$1,169 €1,040
27.36%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,491 $3,491
$2,851 €2,536
22.45%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,521 $3,521
$1,993 €1,773
76.66%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$10.9K $10.9K
$7,793 €6,932
39.80%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$4,418 €3,930
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cruz Bay
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$6,318 $6,318
$1,600 €1,423
294.90%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5
3.85
29.87%

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

Last update for Cruz Bay: October 19, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cruz Bay
–
Lisbon
$1.2K
Groceries & Markets
Cruz Bay
–
Lisbon
$273
Eating Out
Cruz Bay
–
Lisbon
$247
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cruz Bay
–
Lisbon
$215
Clothing & Footwear
Cruz Bay
–
Lisbon
$168
Sport & Entertainment
Cruz Bay
–
Lisbon
$65
Getting Around
Cruz Bay
–
Lisbon
$63

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,820 in Cruz Bay and $1,589 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cruz Bay pays 295% 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: $92.0 in Cruz Bay vs $62.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $270 vs $273, with Cruz Bay cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇻🇮 Cruz Bay
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
06:51 6:51 AM
11:51 11:51 AM
5 h ahead of Cruz Bay
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,743
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cruz Bay Lisbon 5,790 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Cruz Bay
  • 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
Cruz Bay vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Cruz Bay and in Lisbon?
Cruz Bay and Lisbon differ by about 31% in total monthly costs ($2,889 vs $2,202 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Cruz Bay or Lisbon?
Average pay runs 295% higher in Cruz Bay, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Cruz Bay and in Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,820 in Cruz Bay versus $1,589 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Lisbon – a meal for two runs $62.0 versus $92.0 in Cruz Bay. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more expensive overall: Cruz Bay or Lisbon?
All in, you'll spend $2,889 per month in Cruz Bay versus $2,202 in Lisbon – a 31% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
At $2,202 in Lisbon versus $2,889 in Cruz Bay, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Cruz Bay. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Cruz Bay and Lisbon?
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.
Is Cruz Bay or Lisbon safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Cruz Bay 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.
Where should expats move: Cruz Bay or Lisbon?
Expats usually find Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Cruz Bay. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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