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: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $1,270 in Saint Petersburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $2,016 in Saint Petersburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $2,762 in Saint Petersburg.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 81% more expensive than in Saint Petersburg, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Saint Petersburg is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$11.21 ₽947

56.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$41.64 ₽3,519

50.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$6.01 ₽508

92.68%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.96 ₽250

4.73%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$1.46 ₽123

70.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.69 ₽58.4

152.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$2.70 ₽228

28.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$3.44 ₽291

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.14 ₽96.2

0.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$0.94 ₽79.6

103.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.66 ₽140

-9.64%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$1.58 ₽134

151.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$11.78 ₽996

12.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$6.33 ₽534

26.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

$12.33 ₽1,042

46.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$1.70 ₽143

38.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.61 ₽136

8.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$1.72 ₽145

7.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$3.16 ₽267

-19.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$0.82 ₽69.1

124.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$0.60 ₽50.7

250.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$1.27 ₽107

17.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.81 ₽68.3

1.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$2.94 ₽249

141.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$8.48 ₽716

-30.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$1.12 ₽94.7

16.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.92 ₽162

10.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$1.05 ₽88.3

124.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

$53.6 ₽4,525

-12.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$2.72 ₽230

50.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.58 ₽48.70

96.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

$8.50 ₽718

101.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$0.84 ₽71.0

175.00%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$35.9K ₽3.0M

-4.93%

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

$41.4K €36.1K

$32.7K ₽2.8M

26.55%

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

$169 €147

$139 ₽11.8K

21.08%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$7.58 ₽640

155.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$8.31 ₽702

303.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

$42.76 ₽3,613

14.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

$42.02 ₽3,550

-53.76%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$7.24 ₽612

32.18%

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

$696 €607

$568 ₽48.0K

22.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$17.6K ₽1.5M

-1.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$87.7 ₽7,409

20.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$51.2 ₽4,327

-6.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$134 ₽11.3K

-24.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$122 ₽10.3K

2.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

$739 ₽62.5K

124.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$443 ₽37.4K

181.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

$1,576 ₽133.1K

88.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

$892 ₽75.4K

129.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

$4,292 ₽362.7K

82.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

$2,766 ₽233.7K

61.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

$1,146 ₽96.8K

42.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

19.88

-80.99%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Saint Petersburg: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $739 in Saint Petersburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 42% 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 $42.00 in Saint Petersburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 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 81% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $1,270 including rent). Saint Petersburg is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 42% higher in Lisbon, 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $739 in Saint Petersburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $568 in Saint Petersburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,270 in Saint Petersburg versus $2,296 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 81% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.