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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $818 in Santa Cruz.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,366 in Santa Cruz.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,914 in Santa Cruz.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 170% more expensive than Santa Cruz, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Santa Cruz is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$2.93 BOB 20.11

443.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$26.95 BOB 185

140.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$7.08 BOB 48.54

48.45%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.72 BOB 18.63

5.51%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.82 BOB 5.65

173.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.66 BOB 4.54

127.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$1.43 BOB 9.82

144.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$1.94 BOB 13.29

100.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.08 BOB 7.42

5.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.34 BOB 9.23

30.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.34 BOB 9.18

31.34%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$1.84 BOB 12.66

75.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$4.58 BOB 31.40

194.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$4.14 BOB 28.40

91.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$6.28 BOB 43.05

152.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.75 BOB 18.89

-16.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$0.92 BOB 6.31

84.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.13 BOB 7.73

77.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.04 BOB 7.10

136.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$0.92 BOB 6.31

100.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$0.94 BOB 6.43

112.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.80 BOB 5.50

141.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$1.11 BOB 7.64

-28.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$2.13 BOB 14.61

210.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$7.44 BOB 51.1

-23.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.47 BOB 10.07

-6.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.05 BOB 14.06

44.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.30 BOB 2.05

690.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$21.23 BOB 146

114.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$2.88 BOB 19.73

48.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.47 BOB 10.07

-44.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$7.29 BOB 50.0

151.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.55 BOB 3.77

274.55%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$29.5K BOB 202.4K

16.18%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$27.1K BOB 185.9K

45.02%

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

$148 €127

$54.1 BOB 371

173.13%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$22.94 BOB 157

-10.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$33.45 BOB 229

18.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$31.55 BOB 216

51.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$21.52 BOB 148

-12.08%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$7.04 BOB 48.28

30.40%

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

$614 €528

$201 BOB 1,377

205.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$4,258 BOB 29.2K

276.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$42.30 BOB 290

147.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$48.34 BOB 332

-12.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$84.6 BOB 580

11.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$60.0 BOB 411

99.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$401 BOB 2,753

305.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$261 BOB 1,793

380.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$754 BOB 5,170

302.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$641 BOB 4,394

215.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$1,511 BOB 10.4K

416.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$844 BOB 5,788

406.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$526 BOB 3,608

204.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

6.67

-42.88%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Santa Cruz: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $401 in Santa Cruz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 205% 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 $27.00 in Santa Cruz for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $167 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 170% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $818 including rent). Santa Cruz is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 205% 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $401 in Santa Cruz. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $201 in Santa Cruz. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 62% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $818 in Santa Cruz versus $2,210 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 170% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.