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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $582 in Santa Cruz.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $1,056 in Santa Cruz.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $1,531 in Santa Cruz.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 298% more expensive than in Santa Cruz, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Santa Cruz is 58% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.93

$2.12 BOB 25.88

716.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.6

$16.61 BOB 203

280.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.83

$4.65 BOB 56.8

144.95%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.75

$1.82 BOB 22.16

75.27%

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

$2.45 €2.11

$0.49 BOB 5.96

400.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.43 BOB 5.28

309.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.10

$0.98 BOB 12.02

266.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.93

$1.24 BOB 15.10

173.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$0.78 BOB 9.49

58.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$0.93 BOB 11.32

112.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.06 BOB 12.93

43.40%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.49

$1.06 BOB 12.94

281.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.68

$3.28 BOB 40.07

312.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.24

$2.71 BOB 33.03

209.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.75

$5.02 BOB 61.3

263.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$1.67 BOB 20.41

37.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$0.67 BOB 8.22

159.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$0.81 BOB 9.84

129.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.27

$0.75 BOB 9.15

250.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$0.69 BOB 8.38

178.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$0.60 BOB 7.38

248.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.55 BOB 6.67

161.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.64 BOB 7.87

31.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.85

$1.98 BOB 24.13

242.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.93

$4.27 BOB 52.1

33.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.04 BOB 12.71

32.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$1.60 BOB 19.48

38.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.07

$0.26 BOB 3.20

823.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.37

$22.36 BOB 273

109.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.60

$1.67 BOB 20.37

149.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.97 BOB 11.79

17.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.26

$6.15 BOB 75.1

187.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.01

$0.55 BOB 6.74

321.82%

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

$35.3K €30.5K

$15.5K BOB 189.0K

128.10%

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

$41.4K €35.8K

$19.4K BOB 236.3K

113.99%

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

$170 €147

$34.44 BOB 420

394.57%

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

$19.34 €16.69

$19.90 BOB 243

-2.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €29.03

$19.08 BOB 233

76.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.50

$19.23 BOB 235

150.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.17

$12.69 BOB 155

56.82%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.56

$5.95 BOB 72.6

66.72%

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

$717 €619

$126 BOB 1,532

471.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.1K

$2,948 BOB 36.0K

492.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.4

$26.02 BOB 317

302.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.51

$31.88 BOB 389

47.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.2

$65.4 BOB 798

58.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$56.8 BOB 693

118.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,447

$270 BOB 3,290

521.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,097

$185 BOB 2,261

585.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,575

$616 BOB 7,516

384.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,719

$681 BOB 8,311

192.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,753

$1,288 BOB 15.7K

507.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,019

$744 BOB 9,071

526.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,366

$291 BOB 3,555

443.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

6.17

-38.57%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Santa Cruz: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $270 in Santa Cruz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 443% 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 $17.00 in Santa Cruz for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $114 per month, with Santa Cruz 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 Santa Cruz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Santa Cruz differ by about 298% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $582 including rent). Santa Cruz is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 443% 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: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $270 in Santa Cruz. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $717 in Lisbon versus $126 in Santa Cruz. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 149% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $582 in Santa Cruz versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Santa Cruz but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Santa Cruz 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 Cruz 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 Cruz gentler on the wallet – expenses run 298% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.