Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Santa Cruz, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,210 a month against $4,374 in Santa Cruz, CA, rent and utilities included – about $26,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
210

Cost of Living Index in Santa Cruz, CA
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Santa Cruz, CA Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Santa Cruz, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,374

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Santa Cruz, CA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Santa Cruz, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $4,374 in Santa Cruz, CA.

Lisbon $2,210
Santa Cruz, CA $4,374

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $6,182 in Santa Cruz, CA.

Lisbon $3,275
Santa Cruz, CA $6,182

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $7,990 in Santa Cruz, CA.

Lisbon $4,341
Santa Cruz, CA $7,990

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 49% less than in Santa Cruz, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Santa Cruz, CA 221% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.91

$25.37 $25.37

-34.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.3

$100 $100

-38.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.17

$14.72 $14.72

-22.83%

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.66

$6.37 $6.37

-53.38%

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

$2.29 €2.05

$4.25 $4.25

-46.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.56

$3.25 $3.25

-46.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.05

$8.09 $8.09

-57.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.96

$8.22 $8.22

-59.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.04

$1.58 $1.58

-26.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.71

$7.50 $7.50

-74.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.35

$7.51 $7.51

-79.89%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.60

$6.48 $6.48

-37.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.59

$31.90 $31.90

-59.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.96

$16.79 $16.79

-53.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.91

$18.24 $18.24

-2.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.06

$13.02 $13.02

-82.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.55

$3.22 $3.22

-46.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.66

$10.10 $10.10

-81.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.32

$9.00 $9.00

-71.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.63

$4.35 $4.35

-58.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$4.46 $4.46

-55.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

$5.11 $5.11

-71.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

$4.88 $4.88

-85.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.90

$11.82 $11.82

-44.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.02

$24.88 $24.88

-77.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

$2.10 $2.10

-35.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.91

$3.33 $3.33

-35.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.09

$2.03 $2.03

14.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.01

$65.6 $65.6

-31.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.45

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.74

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.97

$1.59 $1.59

38.36%

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

$34.2K €30.6K

$31.5K $31.5K

8.71%

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

$38.7K €34.7K

$26.1K $26.1K

48.10%

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

$161 €144

$385 $385

-58.08%

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

$18.41 €16.49

$57.9 $57.9

-68.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.32

$86.8 $86.8

-62.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €39.90

$96.2 $96.2

-53.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.10

$12.79 $12.79

49.34%

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.60

$16.82 $16.82

-42.93%

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

$668 €598

$2,458 $2,458

-72.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

$30.3K $30.3K

-41.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.4

$67.7 $67.7

50.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.82

$61.5 $61.5

-27.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.2

$90.5 $90.5

8.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$155 $155

-20.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,440

$3,222 $3,222

-50.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,066

$2,343 $2,343

-49.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,519

$4,461 $4,461

-36.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,803

$3,638 $3,638

-44.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,021

$8,763 $8,763

-10.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,098

$9,924 $9,924

-53.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,411

$5,571 $5,571

-71.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

6.47

-40.49%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Santa Cruz, CA: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Santa Cruz, CA

$2.3K 53.6% 96.9% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Santa Cruz, CA

$719 16.4% 164% $446

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

Santa Cruz, CA

$410 9.4% 69.2% $168

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Santa Cruz, CA

$529 12.1% 149% $317

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Santa Cruz, CA

$168 3.9% 1.5% $2.5

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Santa Cruz, CA

$130 3% 104% $66

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Santa Cruz, CA

$74 * 1.7% 16.7% $11

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $3,222 in Santa Cruz, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Cruz, CA pays about 3.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $100 in Santa Cruz, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $719 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇺🇸 Santa Cruz, CA

🕒 Local time

01:01 1:01 AM

17:01 5:01 PM

8 h behind Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

64,220

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Lisbon Santa Cruz, CA 9,150 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
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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, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $4,374 in Santa Cruz, CA, so Lisbon is about 49% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 72% lower in Lisbon. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $3,222 in Santa Cruz, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $668 in Lisbon versus $2,458 in Santa Cruz, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 164% higher in Santa Cruz, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,210 in Lisbon versus $4,374 in Santa Cruz, CA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Santa Cruz, CA. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Lisbon is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Santa Cruz, CA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Santa Cruz, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.