Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Salto Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Salto

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,257 in Salto.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,893 in Salto.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $2,529 in Salto.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 76% more expensive than Salto, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Salto is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$20.09 UYU 810

-20.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$39.02 UYU 1,573

65.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$9.44 UYU 380

11.33%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$3.08 UYU 124

-6.82%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$2.20 UYU 88.9

1.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.56 UYU 63.0

-3.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$4.33 UYU 175

-19.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$3.26 UYU 131

19.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.95 UYU 38.21

20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.24 UYU 50.1

41.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.49 UYU 60.1

18.12%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$3.33 UYU 134

-3.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$19.70 UYU 794

-31.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$7.30 UYU 294

8.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$9.61 UYU 387

65.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$0.93 UYU 37.64

116.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.45 UYU 58.3

69.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.52 UYU 21.06

271.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$1.19 UYU 47.96

-33.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$4.88 UYU 197

35.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$7.33 UYU 296

-21.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.86 UYU 75.1

-26.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.23 UYU 90.0

33.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.20 UYU 48.33

97.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$44.19 UYU 1,782

3.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$1.51 UYU 60.9

184.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.50 UYU 60.4

-45.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$10.80 UYU 435

69.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.83 UYU 73.9

12.57%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$39.6K UYU 1.6M

-13.40%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$39.2K UYU 1.6M

0.25%

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

$148 €127

$181 UYU 7,316

-18.51%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$20.48 UYU 826

0.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$34.77 UYU 1,402

13.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$31.41 UYU 1,266

52.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$10.06 UYU 406

-8.75%

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

$614 €528

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$68.1 UYU 2,746

53.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$60.5 UYU 2,440

-30.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$109 UYU 4,411

-14.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$68.0 UYU 2,743

75.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$433 UYU 17.5K

276.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$277 UYU 11.2K

353.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$759 UYU 30.6K

298.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$474 UYU 19.1K

326.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$615 UYU 24.8K

160.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Salto: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $433 in Salto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 161% 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 $39.00 in Salto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $221 per month, with Salto 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 Salto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Salto differ by about 76% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,257 including rent). Salto is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 161% 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $433 in Salto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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

All in, you'll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $1,257 in Salto – a 76% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,257 in Salto versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Salto but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Salto 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 Salto 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 Salto 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.