Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Santa Fe Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Santa Fe

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $1,056 in Santa Fe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,621 in Santa Fe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $2,186 in Santa Fe.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 115% more expensive than in Santa Fe, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Santa Fe is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$10.12 ARS 15.3K

73.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$37.79 ARS 57.0K

70.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$12.60 ARS 19.0K

-7.54%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$1.78 ARS 2,682

83.15%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$1.50 ARS 2,255

66.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$1.38 ARS 2,074

21.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$3.36 ARS 5,066

3.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$5.10 ARS 7,699

-29.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.02 ARS 1,532

15.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.59 ARS 2,397

22.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.02 ARS 1,543

52.94%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$1.54 ARS 2,327

160.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$8.29 ARS 12.5K

60.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$6.11 ARS 9,222

37.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$10.38 ARS 15.7K

75.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$2.00 ARS 3,011

16.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.53 ARS 2,313

13.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$0.87 ARS 1,310

121.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.42 ARS 3,644

9.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$0.54 ARS 821

251.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$0.69 ARS 1,040

205.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.02 ARS 1,537

41.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$1.03 ARS 1,550

-22.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$3.22 ARS 4,857

117.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$4.82 ARS 7,269

22.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.26 ARS 1,903

7.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.04 ARS 3,084

5.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$1.02 ARS 1,545

133.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$1.01 ARS 1,527

314.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$0.98 ARS 1,475

12.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$7.30 ARS 11.0K

136.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.15 ARS 1,733

95.65%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$20.0K ARS 30.2M

72.18%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$30.1K ARS 45.4M

38.18%

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

$171 €147

$60.7 ARS 91.6K

181.47%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$19.75 ARS 29.8K

-3.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$20.87 ARS 31.5K

64.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$34.07 ARS 51.4K

45.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$4.75 ARS 7,162

112.63%

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

$699 €603

$300 ARS 453.3K

132.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$4,212 ARS 6.4M

321.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$88.4 ARS 133.4K

18.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$61.0 ARS 92.1K

-21.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$118 ARS 178.0K

-13.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$139 ARS 209.6K

-7.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$512 ARS 772.2K

224.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$366 ARS 551.4K

236.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$903 ARS 1.4M

222.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$592 ARS 892.4K

242.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$2,384 ARS 3.6M

241.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$826 ARS 1.2M

95.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

56.56

-93.32%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Santa Fe: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $512 in Santa Fe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 96% 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 $38.00 in Santa Fe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $197 per month, with Santa Fe 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 Fe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Santa Fe differ by about 115% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $1,056 including rent). Santa Fe is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 96% 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 $512 in Santa Fe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,268 per month in Lisbon versus $1,056 in Santa Fe – a 115% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,056 in Santa Fe versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Santa Fe but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Santa Fe 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 Fe 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 Fe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 115% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.