Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Saint Helier Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Saint Helier

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $3,333 in Saint Helier.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $5,458 in Saint Helier.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $7,584 in Saint Helier.

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 31% less than in Saint Helier, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Saint Helier 149% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.15

$36.81 JEP 27.39

-56.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.3

$135 JEP 100

-53.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.02

$10.82 JEP 8.05

-4.62%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.47

$5.04 JEP 3.75

-43.85%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$3.25 JEP 2.42

-29.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$2.55 JEP 1.90

-38.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.97

$8.05 JEP 5.99

-57.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$8.16 JEP 6.07

-50.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$2.26 JEP 1.68

-51.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$2.39 JEP 1.78

-26.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$3.56 JEP 2.65

-50.56%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$5.87 JEP 4.37

-46.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.53

$9.28 JEP 6.90

42.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.96

$11.59 JEP 8.62

-31.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.57

$19.44 JEP 14.46

-20.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$4.46 JEP 3.32

-46.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$3.25 JEP 2.42

-47.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.75

$4.32 JEP 3.21

-53.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.12

$4.30 JEP 3.20

-43.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$3.86 JEP 2.87

-54.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$3.94 JEP 2.93

-48.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$2.02 JEP 1.50

-4.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$2.45 JEP 1.82

-65.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.75

$15.40 JEP 11.45

-57.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.87

$10.55 JEP 7.85

-47.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.16

$4.58 JEP 3.40

-70.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$7.60 JEP 5.65

-60.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$3.11 JEP 2.31

-26.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.01

$68.3 JEP 50.8

-32.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.69

$6.02 JEP 4.48

-29.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$3.80 JEP 2.82

-78.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.11

$33.75 JEP 25.11

-45.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$2.21 JEP 1.65

-5.88%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$22.4K JEP 16.7K

54.88%

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

$39.2K €34.2K

$33.8K JEP 25.1K

15.89%

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

$148 €129

$247 JEP 184

-39.98%

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

$20.46 €17.88

$25.30 JEP 18.82

-19.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.56

$76.4 JEP 56.8

-48.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.93

$69.7 JEP 51.9

-31.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.25

$24.72 JEP 18.39

-24.76%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.06

$21.47 JEP 15.97

-57.06%

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

$616 €538

$2,208 JEP 1,643

-72.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$17.4K JEP 13.0K

-5.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.7

$108 JEP 80.3

-4.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.47

$73.6 JEP 54.7

-43.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.8

$129 JEP 96.1

-26.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$213 JEP 158

-42.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,426

$1,999 JEP 1,487

-18.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,077

$1,647 JEP 1,225

-25.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,707

$3,867 JEP 2,877

-19.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,775

$3,473 JEP 2,584

-41.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,842

$11.6K JEP 8,599

-32.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,835

$10.3K JEP 7,643

-57.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,404

$4,665 JEP 3,471

-65.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.85

-1.04%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Saint Helier: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $1,999 in Saint Helier. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint Helier pays 190% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $135 in Saint Helier for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $425 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

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 Saint Helier: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Saint Helier differ by about 45% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $3,333 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 190% lower in Saint Helier. 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $1,999 in Saint Helier. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $2,208 in Saint Helier. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 59% higher in Saint Helier. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Lisbon is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Saint Helier 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 45% less than in Saint Helier. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.