Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and San Luis Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and San Luis

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $866 in San Luis.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $1,402 in San Luis.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $1,939 in San Luis.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 157% more expensive than San Luis, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, San Luis is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.84

$11.17 ARS 15.6K

44.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$40.52 ARS 56.5K

59.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$9.58 ARS 13.4K

8.35%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$3.67 ARS 5,122

-24.52%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$2.25 ARS 3,139

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$2.06 ARS 2,872

-23.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

$1.64 ARS 2,288

112.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

$2.93 ARS 4,094

36.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.34 ARS 1,865

-19.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.56 ARS 2,176

11.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$2.01 ARS 2,806

-13.43%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$2.16 ARS 3,019

47.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$6.59 ARS 9,193

103.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$4.64 ARS 6,473

72.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

$5.59 ARS 7,806

187.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$1.23 ARS 1,714

85.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.53 ARS 2,132

12.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$1.46 ARS 2,032

32.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$2.08 ARS 2,909

22.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$0.97 ARS 1,358

88.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.99 ARS 1,380

106.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$1.02 ARS 1,419

94.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.51 ARS 707

66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$2.43 ARS 3,386

181.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

$4.93 ARS 6,874

17.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$2.05 ARS 2,859

-33.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$3.47 ARS 4,848

-16.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$0.54 ARS 753

322.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$0.45 ARS 622

806.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.01 ARS 1,410

-18.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$4.91 ARS 6,854

272.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$1.02 ARS 1,425

97.06%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$31.0K ARS 43.2M

13.78%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$33.7K ARS 47.0M

14.27%

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

$145 €124

$59.8 ARS 83.4K

143.35%

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

$20.96 €17.94

$10.86 ARS 15.2K

93.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$21.91 ARS 30.6K

82.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

$26.00 ARS 36.3K

87.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

$13.60 ARS 19.0K

37.43%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$5.56 ARS 7,760

62.95%

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

$607 €519

$104 ARS 145.6K

481.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$2,181 ARS 3.0M

648.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$81.9 ARS 114.3K

27.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$78.2 ARS 109.0K

-47.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$132 ARS 184.8K

-29.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$118 ARS 165.0K

0.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

$297 ARS 414.0K

440.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

$167 ARS 232.9K

640.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

$523 ARS 729.3K

482.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

$303 ARS 422.8K

578.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

$2,074 ARS 2.9M

271.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

$605 ARS 844.4K

605.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

$491 ARS 684.4K

222.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

-95.18%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 26, 2026

Last update for San Luis: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $297 in San Luis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 223% 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 $41.00 in San Luis for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $179 per month, with San Luis 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 San Luis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and San Luis differ by about 157% in total monthly costs ($2,227 vs $866 including rent). San Luis is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 223% 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: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $297 in San Luis. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 51% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,227 per month in Lisbon versus $866 in San Luis – a 157% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $866 in San Luis versus $2,227 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in San Luis but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes San Luis 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 San Luis 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 San Luis gentler on the wallet – expenses run 157% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.