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: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $1,292 in Saint Petersburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $2,043 in Saint Petersburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $2,794 in Saint Petersburg.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 76% more expensive than in Saint Petersburg, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Saint Petersburg is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.64

$9.41 ₽749

67.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.0

$50.0 ₽3,982

26.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.05

$5.69 ₽453

83.66%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.52

$2.62 ₽209

11.07%

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

$2.29 €1.98

$1.09 ₽86.5

110.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.57 ₽45.65

163.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$3.22 ₽257

10.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.43

$3.83 ₽305

3.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.16 ₽92.6

-6.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$0.91 ₽72.1

93.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$1.58 ₽126

7.59%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.81

$1.86 ₽148

74.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.47

$12.09 ₽963

9.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.67

$5.29 ₽421

45.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.66

$10.85 ₽864

45.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$1.74 ₽139

31.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$1.79 ₽143

-7.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$2.00 ₽159

1.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$3.54 ₽282

-30.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$0.83 ₽66.0

115.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$0.63 ₽50.3

228.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$1.36 ₽108

44.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$0.78 ₽62.2

6.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.68

$2.97 ₽237

120.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.82

$9.03 ₽719

-38.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$1.01 ₽80.4

31.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.60

$2.05 ₽163

46.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$0.93 ₽74.3

144.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

$52.9 ₽4,208

-12.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.66

$2.74 ₽218

54.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.59 ₽46.56

44.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.31

$7.61 ₽605

147.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$0.73 ₽58.3

176.71%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$37.4K ₽3.0M

-6.44%

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

$39.6K €34.3K

$37.2K ₽3.0M

6.66%

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

$148 €128

$132 ₽10.5K

12.24%

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

$20.52 €17.77

$6.67 ₽531

207.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.23

$7.07 ₽563

458.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.72

$36.62 ₽2,914

31.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

$22.66 ₽1,803

-18.84%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.88

$5.86 ₽466

55.29%

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

$615 €532

$398 ₽31.7K

54.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$9,616 ₽765.3K

69.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$99.9 ₽7,948

1.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.45

$54.6 ₽4,342

-22.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €79.9

$114 ₽9,035

-18.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$136 ₽10.8K

-10.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,396

$785 ₽62.4K

105.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,086

$475 ₽37.8K

163.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,658

$1,434 ₽114.2K

113.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,764

$893 ₽71.1K

128.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,712

$4,583 ₽364.8K

69.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,712

$2,954 ₽235.1K

45.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,387

$1,206 ₽96.0K

32.78%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Saint Petersburg: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $785 in Saint Petersburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 33% 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 $267 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 76% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $1,292 including rent). Saint Petersburg is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 33% 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: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $785 in Saint Petersburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $398 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 $1,292 in Saint Petersburg versus $2,280 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 76% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.