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: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $2,015 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $2,890 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $3,766 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 13% more expensive than in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 64% above, Santa Cruz de Tenerife 46% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$21.32 €18.38

-17.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$64.3 €55.4

0.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$11.79 €10.16

-1.19%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$2.12 €1.83

53.77%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$2.04 €1.75

22.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$1.30 €1.12

28.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$2.89 €2.49

20.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$3.46 €2.98

3.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.26 €1.08

-6.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$2.58 €2.22

-24.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.65 €1.43

-5.45%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$4.39 €3.79

-8.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$20.60 €17.76

-35.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$10.37 €8.93

-18.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$18.04 €15.55

1.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$2.77 €2.39

-16.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$2.46 €2.12

-29.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$2.23 €1.92

-13.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.63 €2.27

0.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$2.24 €1.93

-15.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$2.10 €1.81

0.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.75 €1.51

-17.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.98 €0.84

-18.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$5.70 €4.91

22.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$8.35 €7.20

-29.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.67 €1.44

-18.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.79 €1.55

20.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$1.48 €1.27

60.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

$43.93 €37.87

5.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$4.38 €3.78

-4.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$1.77 €1.53

-37.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$17.56 €15.14

-1.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.65 €1.43

36.36%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$36.7K €31.6K

-5.99%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$30.3K €26.1K

37.58%

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

$171 €147

$134 €115

27.72%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$23.36 €20.14

-18.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$36.81 €31.73

-6.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$54.6 €47.05

-9.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$12.18 €10.50

60.18%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$10.38 €8.95

-2.70%

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

$699 €603

$428 €369

63.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$5,246 €4,522

238.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$97.3 €83.8

7.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$43.40 €37.41

10.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$94.4 €81.4

7.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$117 €101

9.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$1,202 €1,036

38.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$923 €795

33.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$1,804 €1,555

61.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$1,328 €1,145

52.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$4,025 €3,470

101.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$2,227 €1,920

108.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$1,923 €1,658

-15.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

3.56

6.18%

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 Tenerife: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $1,202 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Cruz de Tenerife pays 19% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $64.0 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $339 per month, with Lisbon 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 Tenerife: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Santa Cruz de Tenerife differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $2,015 including rent). Santa Cruz de Tenerife is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 19% lower in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $1,202 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $428 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 21% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,015 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife versus $2,268 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 13% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.