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: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $1,308 in Saint Petersburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $2,048 in Saint Petersburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $2,788 in Saint Petersburg.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 70% more expensive than Saint Petersburg, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Saint Petersburg is 2% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.84

$9.46 ₽711

70.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$49.63 ₽3,728

30.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$5.67 ₽426

83.07%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$2.57 ₽193

7.78%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$1.08 ₽81.5

108.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.58 ₽43.63

170.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

$3.09 ₽232

12.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

$3.90 ₽293

2.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.17 ₽88.1

-7.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$0.96 ₽71.8

81.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.61 ₽121

8.07%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$1.85 ₽139

71.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$12.38 ₽930

8.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$5.44 ₽408

46.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

$10.62 ₽797

51.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$1.75 ₽131

30.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.85 ₽139

-7.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$1.98 ₽149

-2.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$3.50 ₽263

-27.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$0.84 ₽63.0

117.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.64 ₽48.13

218.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$1.36 ₽102

45.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.75 ₽56.1

13.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$2.91 ₽219

135.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

$9.57 ₽719

-39.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.02 ₽76.2

34.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$2.05 ₽154

41.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$0.90 ₽67.9

153.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

$53.5 ₽4,016

-12.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$2.87 ₽216

42.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.59 ₽44.66

38.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$7.70 ₽578

137.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$0.75 ₽56.7

168.00%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$38.8K ₽2.9M

-9.00%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$37.0K ₽2.8M

3.96%

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

$145 €124

$132 ₽9,879

10.55%

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

$20.96 €17.94

$6.70 ₽503

212.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$7.34 ₽551

445.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

$36.88 ₽2,770

32.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

$23.04 ₽1,730

-18.88%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$5.84 ₽439

55.14%

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

$607 €519

$397 ₽29.8K

52.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$9,653 ₽725.0K

69.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$99.2 ₽7,449

5.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$54.8 ₽4,115

-25.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$117 ₽8,789

-20.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$133 ₽9,955

-10.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

$784 ₽58.9K

104.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

$459 ₽34.5K

168.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

$1,442 ₽108.3K

111.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

$907 ₽68.2K

126.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

$4,548 ₽341.6K

69.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

$2,919 ₽219.2K

46.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

$1,261 ₽94.7K

25.64%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Saint Petersburg: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $784 in Saint Petersburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 26% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $50.0 in Saint Petersburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $223 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 70% in total monthly costs ($2,227 vs $1,308 including rent). Saint Petersburg is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 26% 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: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $784 in Saint Petersburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $607 in Lisbon versus $397 in Saint Petersburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,308 in Saint Petersburg versus $2,227 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 70% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.