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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,273 in Salto.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,869 in Salto.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $2,464 in Salto.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 80% more expensive than in Salto, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Salto is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$20.41 UYU 821

-20.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$39.63 UYU 1,594

59.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$8.95 UYU 360

15.31%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$2.98 UYU 120

-5.03%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$2.23 UYU 89.7

2.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$1.50 UYU 60.3

5.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$4.51 UYU 182

-24.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$3.25 UYU 131

24.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$0.95 UYU 38.28

14.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.20 UYU 48.44

45.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.50 UYU 60.4

17.33%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$3.45 UYU 139

-8.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$19.86 UYU 799

-33.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$7.41 UYU 298

7.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$10.05 UYU 404

54.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$0.99 UYU 39.87

103.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$1.44 UYU 57.8

68.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.52 UYU 21.07

269.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.25 UYU 50.4

-32.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$5.10 UYU 205

29.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$7.42 UYU 298

-24.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.81 UYU 73.0

-26.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.17 UYU 87.2

36.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$1.21 UYU 48.64

88.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

$44.45 UYU 1,788

3.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$1.51 UYU 60.7

180.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$1.49 UYU 59.9

-45.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$11.03 UYU 444

67.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.89 UYU 76.0

10.05%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$39.8K UYU 1.6M

-12.90%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$38.5K UYU 1.5M

1.77%

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

$148 €130

$186 UYU 7,501

-20.60%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$20.12 UYU 809

1.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$33.80 UYU 1,360

17.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$32.17 UYU 1,294

49.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$9.53 UYU 383

-3.25%

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

$616 €539

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$68.1 UYU 2,741

50.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$60.6 UYU 2,436

-31.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$111 UYU 4,476

-14.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$66.6 UYU 2,681

83.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$426 UYU 17.2K

282.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$281 UYU 11.3K

338.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$738 UYU 29.7K

319.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$457 UYU 18.4K

344.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

$613 UYU 24.7K

162.03%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Salto: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $426 in Salto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 162% 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 $40.00 in Salto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $225 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 80% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,273 including rent). Salto is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 162% 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $426 in Salto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,291 per month in Lisbon versus $1,273 in Salto – a 80% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,273 in Salto versus $2,291 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 80% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.