Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Saint-Leu

For one person, living is cheaper in Saint-Leu: $1,502 a month against $2,202 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 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

Saint-Leu

🇷🇪 Reunion

$1,502

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Saint-Leu

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 Saint-Leu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,202 in Lisbon versus $1,502 in Saint-Leu.

Lisbon $2,202
Saint-Leu $1,502

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,274 in Lisbon versus $2,357 in Saint-Leu.

Lisbon $3,274
Saint-Leu $2,357

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $3,213 in Saint-Leu.

Lisbon $4,346
Saint-Leu $3,213

Living in Lisbon is roughly 47% more expensive than in Saint-Leu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Saint-Leu 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.04 €15.15

$28.24 €25.12

-39.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 €55.4

$89.2 €79.3

-30.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 €9.80

Cappuccino

$3.12 €2.78

$2.83 €2.52

10.25%

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

$2.27 €2.02

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.55

$1.10 €0.98

58.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 €3.04

$7.88 €7.01

-56.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 €3.33

$5.56 €4.95

-32.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.10 €0.98

6.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.66

$1.26 €1.12

47.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 €1.37

$2.17 €1.93

-29.03%

Eggs

$4.06 €3.61

$4.62 €4.11

-12.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.91 €11.49

$22.03 €19.60

-41.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.03

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.64 €15.69

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

$3.38 €3.00

-33.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

$1.66 €1.47

5.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 €1.68

$2.27 €2.02

-16.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.27

$3.40 €3.02

-24.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

$2.25 €2.00

-17.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$2.18 €1.94

-9.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.29

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 €0.69

$0.81 €0.72

-4.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.71 €5.97

$14.77 €13.13

-54.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €5.04

$5.56 €4.95

1.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.22

$1.64 €1.46

-16.46%

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

$1.87 €1.66

17.11%

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

$94.6 €84.1

73.16%

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

$18.48 €16.43

$9.89 €8.80

86.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.96 €29.32

$34.06 €30.30

-3.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.87 €40.80

$33.81 €30.08

35.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.68 €16.61

Cinema Ticket

$9.75 €8.67

$10.01 €8.91

-2.60%

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)

$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

$1,140 €1,014

39.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 €1,040

$785 €698

48.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,851 €2,536

$1,981 €1,762

43.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,993 €1,773

$1,353 €1,204

47.28%

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)

$1,600 €1,423

$2,039 €1,814

-21.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

-3.75%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Last update for Saint-Leu: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1%

Saint-Leu

–

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$273 12.4%

Saint-Leu

–

Eating Out

Lisbon

$247 11.2%

Saint-Leu

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$215 9.8%

Saint-Leu

–

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$168 7.7%

Saint-Leu

–

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$65 3%

Saint-Leu

–

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Saint-Leu

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,589 in Lisbon and $1,140 in Saint-Leu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint-Leu pays 27% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $89.0 in Saint-Leu. Groceries flip the comparison at $273 vs $210, with Saint-Leu cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇷🇪 Saint-Leu

🕒 Local time

04:39 4:39 AM

07:39 7:39 AM

3 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

34,893

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Lisbon Saint-Leu 9,440 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Saint-Leu

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

Lisbon vs Saint-Leu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Saint-Leu differ by about 47% in total monthly costs ($2,202 vs $1,502 including rent). Saint-Leu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 27% lower in Saint-Leu. 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 $1,140 in Saint-Leu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Saint-Leu – a meal for two runs $89.0 versus $62.0 in Lisbon. 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 $1,502 in Saint-Leu – a 47% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,502 in Saint-Leu versus $2,202 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Saint-Leu but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Saint-Leu 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 Saint-Leu 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 Saint-Leu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.