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: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $1,737 in Santa Cruz.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $2,782 in Santa Cruz.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $3,826 in Santa Cruz.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 31% more expensive than in Santa Cruz, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 64% above, Santa Cruz 26% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$12.07 ₡5,403

45.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$59.8 ₡26.8K

7.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$11.31 ₡5,060

3.01%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$4.36 ₡1,951

-25.23%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$2.34 ₡1,048

6.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$1.95 ₡874

-14.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$3.38 ₡1,514

2.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$4.42 ₡1,978

-19.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$2.37 ₡1,062

-50.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$3.05 ₡1,366

-36.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$2.57 ₡1,151

-39.30%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$3.57 ₡1,597

12.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$10.62 ₡4,752

24.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$10.41 ₡4,658

-19.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$14.31 ₡6,406

27.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$5.27 ₡2,359

-55.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.12 ₡503

54.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$4.76 ₡2,132

-59.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$3.96 ₡1,774

-33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$3.92 ₡1,754

-51.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$3.65 ₡1,635

-42.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.13 ₡505

27.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$3.26 ₡1,458

-75.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$6.12 ₡2,737

14.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$20.78 ₡9,302

-71.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$2.93 ₡1,313

-53.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$3.63 ₡1,623

-40.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$1.32 ₡589

80.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$2.49 ₡1,114

68.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$1.59 ₡712

-30.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$8.92 ₡3,993

93.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.49 ₡667

51.01%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$21.8K ₡9.7M

58.39%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$35.6K ₡15.9M

16.85%

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

$171 €147

$96.1 ₡43.0K

77.89%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$37.28 ₡16.7K

-49.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$61.0 ₡27.3K

-43.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$72.8 ₡32.6K

-31.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$6.88 ₡3,079

46.80%

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

$699 €603

$997 ₡446.2K

-29.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$17.1K ₡7.7M

3.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$73.3 ₡32.8K

42.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$55.8 ₡25.0K

-14.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$133 ₡59.5K

-23.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$136 ₡60.9K

-5.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$797 ₡356.9K

108.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$648 ₡289.9K

89.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$1,840 ₡823.7K

58.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$1,304 ₡583.4K

55.20%

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

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 5, 2026

Last update for Santa Cruz: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $797 in Santa Cruz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $60.0 in Santa Cruz. Groceries flip the comparison at $281 vs $404, 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 Cruz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Santa Cruz differ by about 31% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $1,737 including rent). Santa Cruz is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,402 in Lisbon and $2,606 in Santa Cruz to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $797 in Santa Cruz. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 44% 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 $1,737 in Santa Cruz – a 31% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,737 in Santa Cruz versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $3,000 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 31% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.