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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $1,861 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $2,614 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $3,366 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 20% more expensive than Santa Cruz de Tenerife, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 66% above, Santa Cruz de Tenerife 39% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.81

$17.08 €14.59

-5.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.1

$58.3 €49.78

10.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.86

$10.47 €8.94

-0.86%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$2.02 €1.72

37.13%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$1.75 €1.49

28.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.34

$1.02 €0.87

53.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.98

$2.95 €2.52

18.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.42

$3.16 €2.70

26.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.23 €1.05

-12.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.73 €1.47

0.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.48

$1.52 €1.29

14.47%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.71

$3.12 €2.67

1.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.47

$17.30 €14.77

-22.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.83

$8.38 €7.15

-4.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.74

$14.36 €12.26

12.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$2.42 €2.07

-5.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.47

$1.75 €1.50

-1.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$1.59 €1.36

22.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.17

$2.55 €2.18

-0.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.56

$1.56 €1.34

17.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.74

$1.76 €1.51

15.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$1.53 €1.30

29.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.71 €0.61

19.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.85

$5.12 €4.37

33.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.93

$8.37 €7.14

-30.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.54 €1.32

-11.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$1.73 €1.48

67.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$1.71 €1.46

33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.00

$34.74 €29.67

34.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.48

$4.71 €4.03

-13.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.29 €1.10

-36.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.60

$17.39 €14.85

5.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.71

$1.62 €1.38

24.07%

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

$35.3K €30.1K

$37.9K €32.4K

-7.05%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$30.1K €25.7K

27.76%

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

$145 €124

$90.1 €76.9

61.39%

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

$20.96 €17.90

$21.19 €18.09

-1.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.21

$30.60 €26.13

30.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.66

$51.0 €43.55

-4.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €15.97

$11.16 €9.53

67.47%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.74

$10.05 €8.59

-9.85%

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

$607 €518

$343 €293

76.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €13.9K

$8,372 €7,150

95.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.4

$83.8 €71.6

24.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €34.97

$33.82 €28.89

21.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €79.9

$87.2 €74.5

7.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$69.5 €59.4

70.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,370

$1,157 €988

38.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,055

$954 €815

29.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,601

$1,628 €1,390

87.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,756

$1,298 €1,108

58.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,583

$3,933 €3,359

96.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,644

$2,283 €1,950

86.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,353

$1,926 €1,645

-17.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.5

8.86%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 26, 2026

Last update for Santa Cruz de Tenerife: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $1,157 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Cruz de Tenerife pays 22% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $58.0 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Groceries flip the comparison at $271 vs $277, 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 de Tenerife: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Santa Cruz de Tenerife differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($2,227 vs $1,861 including rent). Santa Cruz de Tenerife is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Santa Cruz de Tenerife earns 22% less. 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: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $1,157 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $607 in Lisbon versus $343 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,861 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife versus $2,227 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Santa Cruz de Tenerife but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Santa Cruz de Tenerife 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 Tenerife 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 Tenerife gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.