Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Saintes Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Saintes

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $1,771 in Saintes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $2,613 in Saintes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $3,454 in Saintes.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 28% more expensive than Saintes, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 68% above, Saintes 32% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.82

$17.68 €15.33

-9.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.9

$28.75 €24.92

120.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €9.00

$9.24 €8.01

12.34%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.42

$3.45 €2.99

-19.13%

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

$2.34 €2.03

$2.46 €2.13

-4.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.36

$1.46 €1.27

7.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.97

$4.57 €3.96

-24.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.39

$5.32 €4.61

-26.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.07 €0.93

0.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.53

$4.26 €3.70

-58.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.48

$3.55 €3.08

-51.83%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.73

$2.26 €1.96

39.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.86

$22.70 €19.68

-39.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.94

$13.81 €11.97

-42.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.45

$21.28 €18.45

-27.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.99

$3.15 €2.73

-27.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.42

$1.98 €1.72

-17.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.68

$1.98 €1.72

-2.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.18

$3.17 €2.74

-20.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$0.84 €0.73

113.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.74

$1.84 €1.59

9.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.56 €1.35

26.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.56 €0.49

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.88

$12.48 €10.82

-45.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.92

$8.44 €7.32

-32.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$2.59 €2.24

-46.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.61

$3.30 €2.86

-8.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$1.94 €1.69

17.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.38

$48.77 €42.27

-6.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.72

$5.96 €5.17

-28.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.74

$2.51 €2.18

-66.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.84

$36.58 €31.71

-50.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.72

$2.02 €1.75

-1.49%

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

$35.0K €30.4K

$37.2K €32.2K

-5.76%

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

$39.5K €34.3K

$38.9K €33.7K

1.60%

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

$146 €127

$184 €160

-20.69%

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

$20.45 €17.72

$11.55 €10.01

77.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.78

$27.50 €23.84

41.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.46

$36.98 €32.05

32.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.32

$18.03 €15.63

4.44%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.25

$10.63 €9.21

-10.44%

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

$608 €527

$766 €664

-20.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.3K

$8,734 €7,569

89.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €90.0

$47.17 €40.88

120.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.50

$35.61 €30.87

18.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.9

$69.9 €60.6

31.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €104

$115 €99.7

4.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,405

$785 €681

106.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,099

$624 €541

103.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,642

$1,406 €1,218

116.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,741

$1,065 €923

88.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,641

$4,213 €3,651

81.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,752

$3,086 €2,675

40.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,374

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.62

5.25%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 8, 2026

Last update for Saintes: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $785 in Saintes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $29.00 in Saintes. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $385, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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 Saintes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Saintes differ by about 28% in total monthly costs ($2,263 vs $1,771 including rent). Saintes is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,394 in Lisbon and $2,657 in Saintes to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,621 in Lisbon versus $785 in Saintes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $608 in Lisbon versus $766 in Saintes. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 43% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,771 in Saintes versus $2,263 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Saintes but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Saintes 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 Saintes 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 Saintes gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.