Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Santa Ana Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Santa Ana

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $1,617 in Santa Ana.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $2,659 in Santa Ana.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $3,701 in Santa Ana.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 41% more expensive than in Santa Ana, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Santa Ana 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.64

$9.76 ₡4,377

61.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.0

$58.6 ₡26.3K

8.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.05

$9.47 ₡4,246

10.35%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.52

$3.91 ₡1,755

-25.58%

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

$2.29 €1.98

$1.90 ₡851

20.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$1.57 ₡705

-4.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$2.95 ₡1,324

20.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.43

$4.65 ₡2,087

-14.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$2.07 ₡926

-47.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$2.81 ₡1,259

-37.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$2.16 ₡970

-21.30%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.81

$3.00 ₡1,346

8.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.47

$10.16 ₡4,557

30.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.67

$9.02 ₡4,046

-14.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.66

$13.49 ₡6,047

16.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$4.54 ₡2,034

-49.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$1.47 ₡659

12.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.61 ₡723

25.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$3.40 ₡1,524

-27.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$2.76 ₡1,239

-35.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$3.24 ₡1,452

-36.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$0.97 ₡434

103.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$2.06 ₡924

-59.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.68

$5.25 ₡2,354

24.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.82

$17.22 ₡7,722

-67.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$2.42 ₡1,086

-45.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.60

$2.63 ₡1,177

14.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$1.01 ₡452

124.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

$20.09 ₡9,007

130.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.66

$1.86 ₡832

127.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$1.87 ₡840

-54.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.31

$3.92 ₡1,757

380.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.42 ₡636

42.25%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$30.5K ₡13.7M

14.64%

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

$39.6K €34.3K

$32.7K ₡14.6M

21.39%

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

$148 €128

$80.5 ₡36.1K

83.79%

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

$20.52 €17.77

$25.51 ₡11.4K

-19.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.23

$45.62 ₡20.5K

-13.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.72

$57.1 ₡25.6K

-15.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

$23.91 ₡10.7K

-23.09%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.88

$9.84 ₡4,412

-7.52%

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

$615 €532

$578 ₡259.2K

6.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$12.4K ₡5.6M

30.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$62.3 ₡27.9K

63.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.45

$50.6 ₡22.7K

-16.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €79.9

$122 ₡54.5K

-24.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$105 ₡47.3K

15.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,396

$889 ₡398.5K

81.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,086

$636 ₡285.3K

97.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,658

$1,501 ₡672.9K

104.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,764

$1,408 ₡631.2K

44.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,712

$2,680 ₡1.2M

189.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,712

$1,687 ₡756.6K

154.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,387

$1,390 ₡623.3K

15.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

-61.90%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Last update for Santa Ana: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $889 in Santa Ana. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 15% 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 $59.0 in Santa Ana. Groceries flip the comparison at $267 vs $336, 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 Santa Ana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Santa Ana differ by about 41% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $1,617 including rent). Santa Ana is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 15% 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 $889 in Santa Ana. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $578 in Santa Ana. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 26% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,617 in Santa Ana versus $2,280 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Santa Ana but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Santa Ana 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 Santa Ana 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 Santa Ana gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.