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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $1,290 in Saint Petersburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $2,017 in Saint Petersburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $2,745 in Saint Petersburg.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 75% more expensive than Saint Petersburg, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Saint Petersburg is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.73

$9.39 ₽680

69.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.6

$50.1 ₽3,630

26.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.95

$5.85 ₽424

77.44%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.40

$2.71 ₽196

2.95%

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

$2.34 €2.01

$1.12 ₽81.0

108.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.62 ₽44.61

153.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.95

$3.20 ₽232

7.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.37

$3.78 ₽274

3.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.16 ₽84.4

-6.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$0.90 ₽65.0

96.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.57 ₽114

8.92%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.71

$1.94 ₽141

62.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.79

$12.00 ₽870

14.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.90

$5.26 ₽381

52.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.37

$10.78 ₽781

43.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$1.69 ₽123

35.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$1.84 ₽133

-10.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$1.93 ₽140

0.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.17

$3.37 ₽244

-25.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$0.84 ₽60.8

113.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$0.65 ₽47.00

209.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.33 ₽96.6

48.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.79 ₽57.1

6.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$3.01 ₽218

125.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.89

$9.82 ₽712

-42.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.00 ₽72.6

39.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.60

$2.03 ₽147

48.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.95

$0.87 ₽62.8

160.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.15

$53.3 ₽3,861

-14.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.70

$2.87 ₽208

49.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.55 ₽39.92

54.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.75

$7.71 ₽559

137.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.71

$0.79 ₽57.1

151.90%

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

$35.0K €30.2K

$37.6K ₽2.7M

-6.93%

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

$39.5K €34.1K

$37.8K ₽2.7M

4.52%

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

$146 €126

$134 ₽9,706

9.14%

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

$20.45 €17.62

$6.81 ₽493

200.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.58

$7.22 ₽523

439.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.21

$37.57 ₽2,722

30.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.22

$22.96 ₽1,664

-17.99%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.21

$5.68 ₽412

67.61%

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

$608 €524

$404 ₽29.2K

50.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.2K

$9,691 ₽702.2K

70.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.5

$101 ₽7,315

2.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.29

$55.0 ₽3,983

-23.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.5

$117 ₽8,508

-21.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$133 ₽9,622

-9.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,397

$804 ₽58.3K

101.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,092

$463 ₽33.6K

173.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,626

$1,404 ₽101.7K

117.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,731

$887 ₽64.3K

126.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,602

$4,923 ₽356.7K

55.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,730

$3,147 ₽228.0K

37.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,366

$1,324 ₽95.9K

19.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

24.95

-84.73%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 8, 2026

Last update for Saint Petersburg: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $804 in Saint Petersburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 20% 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 $50.0 in Saint Petersburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $221 per month, with Saint Petersburg 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 Petersburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Saint Petersburg differ by about 75% in total monthly costs ($2,263 vs $1,290 including rent). Saint Petersburg is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 20% more on average, 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: $1,621 in Lisbon versus $804 in Saint Petersburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $608 in Lisbon versus $404 in Saint Petersburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,290 in Saint Petersburg versus $2,263 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Saint Petersburg but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Saint Petersburg 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 Petersburg 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 Petersburg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 75% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.