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: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $2,004 in Santa Ana.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $3,293 in Santa Ana.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $4,582 in Santa Ana.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 15% more expensive than in Santa Ana, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 68% above, Santa Ana 47% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$12.46 ₡5,539

41.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$59.6 ₡26.5K

5.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$11.62 ₡5,166

-0.34%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$4.29 ₡1,906

-27.74%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$2.20 ₡980

13.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$1.40 ₡623

24.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$3.27 ₡1,452

6.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$4.49 ₡1,996

-23.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$2.24 ₡994

-48.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$3.18 ₡1,413

-39.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$2.53 ₡1,124

-40.71%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$3.62 ₡1,608

9.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$10.65 ₡4,732

24.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$10.36 ₡4,604

-22.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

$14.28 ₡6,348

26.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$5.08 ₡2,259

-53.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.65 ₡732

6.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$4.88 ₡2,168

-62.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$3.86 ₡1,717

-33.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$3.99 ₡1,771

-53.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$3.81 ₡1,694

-44.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$1.08 ₡480

37.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$1.89 ₡839

-56.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$5.87 ₡2,607

20.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$18.03 ₡8,014

-67.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$2.79 ₡1,241

-53.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.65 ₡1,178

-19.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$2.41 ₡1,072

69.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$1.62 ₡722

-29.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

$8.88 ₡3,946

92.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.55 ₡690

49.03%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$21.6K ₡9.6M

57.73%

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

$41.4K €36.1K

$34.3K ₡15.2M

20.59%

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

$169 €147

$96.2 ₡42.8K

75.21%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$33.40 ₡14.8K

-42.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$49.68 ₡22.1K

-32.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

$162 ₡72.1K

-69.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

$21.80 ₡9,690

-10.87%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$8.38 ₡3,725

14.20%

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

$696 €607

$1,004 ₡446.3K

-30.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$16.9K ₡7.5M

2.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$67.6 ₡30.1K

55.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$57.4 ₡25.5K

-16.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$131 ₡58.4K

-23.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$134 ₡59.7K

-7.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

$1,093 ₡485.9K

52.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$885 ₡393.2K

40.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

$3,021 ₡1.3M

-1.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

$1,882 ₡836.3K

8.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

$2,713 ₡1.2M

188.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

$1,678 ₡745.6K

166.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

$1,416 ₡629.2K

15.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

8.78

-56.95%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Santa Ana: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $1,093 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 $60.0 in Santa Ana. Groceries flip the comparison at $277 vs $381, 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 15% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $2,004 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $1,093 in Santa Ana. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 38% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,296 per month in Lisbon versus $2,004 in Santa Ana – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,004 in Santa Ana versus $2,296 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 15% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.