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: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $1,046 in Santa Ana.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,651 in Santa Ana.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $2,257 in Santa Ana.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 117% more expensive than in Santa Ana, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Santa Ana is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$6.91 $6.91

153.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$43.83 $43.83

47.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$6.82 $6.82

70.82%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$3.53 $3.53

-7.65%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$1.11 $1.11

124.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.80 $0.80

108.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$2.03 $2.03

70.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$3.41 $3.41

4.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.79 $1.79

-34.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$2.81 $2.81

-30.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.38 $1.38

13.04%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$3.02 $3.02

32.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$7.91 $7.91

67.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$6.90 $6.90

22.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$10.27 $10.27

77.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$5.10 $5.10

-54.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.53 $1.53

13.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$2.83 $2.83

-31.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$3.43 $3.43

-23.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$3.02 $3.02

-37.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$3.23 $3.23

-34.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.00 $1.00

44.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.98 $0.98

-18.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$4.01 $4.01

74.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$12.10 $12.10

-51.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$2.21 $2.21

-38.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.88 $2.88

-25.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.29 $0.29

720.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$5.88 $5.88

-28.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$2.93 $2.93

-62.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$20.24 $20.24

-14.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$0.94 $0.94

139.36%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$23.2K $23.2K

48.57%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$27.7K $27.7K

50.09%

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

$171 €147

$39.28 $39.28

335.03%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$21.56 $21.56

-11.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$38.77 $38.77

-11.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$34.89 $34.89

42.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$5.03 $5.03

100.80%

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

$699 €603

$161 $161

333.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$4,631 $4,631

283.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$67.1 $67.1

56.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$47.80 $47.80

0.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$120 $120

-14.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$115 $115

11.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$659 $659

152.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$270 $270

355.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$1,002 $1,002

190.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$449 $449

351.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$453 $453

257.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

-24.40%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Santa Ana: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $659 in Santa Ana. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 258% 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: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $44.00 in Santa Ana. Groceries flip the comparison at $281 vs $288, 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 117% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $1,046 including rent). Santa Ana is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 258% 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $659 in Santa Ana. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,268 per month in Lisbon versus $1,046 in Santa Ana – a 117% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,046 in Santa Ana versus $2,268 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 117% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.