Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Santa Cruz de La Palma Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Santa Cruz de La Palma

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $1,671 in Santa Cruz de La Palma.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $2,484 in Santa Cruz de La Palma.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $3,297 in Santa Cruz de La Palma.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 36% more expensive than in Santa Cruz de La Palma, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 64% above, Santa Cruz de La Palma 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$17.11 €14.75

2.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$59.2 €51.0

9.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$11.58 €9.98

0.60%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$2.35 €2.03

38.72%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$2.61 €2.25

-4.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$1.94 €1.68

-13.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$3.56 €3.07

-2.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$3.71 €3.19

-3.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.20 €1.04

-1.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.49 €1.28

30.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.47 €1.27

6.12%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$3.37 €2.91

18.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$12.10 €10.43

9.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$7.99 €6.89

5.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$17.33 €14.94

5.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$2.67 €2.30

-13.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$2.14 €1.84

-19.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$2.17 €1.87

-11.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.50 €2.16

5.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$2.16 €1.86

-12.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$2.43 €2.10

-13.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.50 €1.30

-4.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.77 €0.66

3.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$6.63 €5.71

5.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$6.19 €5.33

-4.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.44 €1.24

-5.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.92 €1.66

11.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$1.66 €1.43

43.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

$30.23 €26.06

52.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$3.49 €3.01

20.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$1.62 €1.40

-32.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$25.66 €22.12

-32.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.70 €1.46

32.35%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$42.0K €36.2K

-17.88%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$33.1K €28.5K

25.92%

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

$171 €147

$143 €123

19.86%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$20.28 €17.48

-6.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$31.50 €27.15

8.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$46.46 €40.05

6.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$15.03 €12.96

29.81%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$10.07 €8.68

0.30%

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

$699 €603

$534 €460

31.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$9,245 €7,970

92.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$87.9 €75.8

18.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$41.80 €36.03

14.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$98.0 €84.5

3.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$105 €90.6

22.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$921 €794

80.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$699 €603

75.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$1,408 €1,214

107.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$1,064 €917

90.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$3,508 €3,024

131.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$2,312 €1,993

100.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$1,399 €1,206

15.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

3.3

14.55%

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 de La Palma: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $921 in Santa Cruz de La Palma. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 16% 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 $59.0 in Santa Cruz de La Palma for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $272 per month, with Santa Cruz de La Palma 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 de La Palma: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Santa Cruz de La Palma differ by about 36% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $1,671 including rent). Santa Cruz de La Palma is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 16% 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 $921 in Santa Cruz de La Palma. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $534 in Santa Cruz de La Palma. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,671 in Santa Cruz de La Palma versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Santa Cruz de La Palma but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Santa Cruz de La Palma 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 de La Palma 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 de La Palma gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.