Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Cruz Bay

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.

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Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

Cruz Bay

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$2,889

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Cruz Bay

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Cruz Bay actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

Lisbon $2,202
Cruz Bay $2,889

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

Lisbon $3,274
Cruz Bay $4,680

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

Lisbon $4,346
Cruz Bay $6,471

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 24% less than in Cruz Bay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.04 €15.15

$30.27 $30.27

-43.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 €55.4

$91.8 $91.8

-32.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 €9.80

$17.12 $17.12

-35.63%

Cappuccino

$3.12 €2.78

$8.84 $8.84

-64.71%

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

$2.27 €2.02

$2.91 $2.91

-21.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.55

$3.98 $3.98

-56.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 €3.04

$8.19 $8.19

-58.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 €3.33

$8.95 $8.95

-58.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.04

$7.80 $7.80

-85.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.66

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 €1.37

Eggs

$4.06 €3.61

$5.03 $5.03

-19.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.91 €11.49

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.03

$15.56 $15.56

-49.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.64 €15.69

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

$8.88 $8.88

-74.55%

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)

$5.67 €5.04

$24.92 $24.92

-77.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.22

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)

$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

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

$164 €146

$354 $354

-53.71%

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

$18.48 €16.43

$140 $140

-86.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.96 €29.32

$60.3 $60.3

-45.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.87 €40.80

$89.3 $89.3

-48.62%

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

$13.2K $13.2K

33.46%

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

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 €1,414

$1,820 $1,820

-12.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 €1,040

$1,489 $1,489

-21.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,851 €2,536

$3,491 $3,491

-18.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,993 €1,773

$3,521 $3,521

-43.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,793 €6,932

$10.9K $10.9K

-28.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,418 €3,930

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,600 €1,423

$6,318 $6,318

-74.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

-23.00%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Last update for Cruz Bay: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1%

Cruz Bay

–

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$273 12.4%

Cruz Bay

–

Eating Out

Lisbon

$247 11.2%

Cruz Bay

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$215 9.8%

Cruz Bay

–

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$168 7.7%

Cruz Bay

–

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$65 3%

Cruz Bay

–

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Cruz Bay

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,589 in Lisbon and $1,820 in Cruz Bay. 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: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $92.0 in Cruz Bay. Groceries flip the comparison at $273 vs $270, with Cruz Bay cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇻🇮 Cruz Bay

🕒 Local time

15:24 3:24 PM

10:24 10:24 AM

5 h behind Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

2,743

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Lisbon Cruz Bay 5,790 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

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Cruz Bay

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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

Lisbon vs Cruz Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Cruz Bay differ by about 31% in total monthly costs ($2,202 vs $2,889 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 295% lower in Cruz Bay. 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: $1,589 in Lisbon versus $1,820 in Cruz Bay. 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 $92.0 in Cruz Bay. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,202 per month in Lisbon versus $2,889 in Cruz Bay – a 31% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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.

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, Lisbon and Cruz Bay 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 31% less than in Cruz Bay. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.