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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $801 in Santa Fe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,216 in Santa Fe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,632 in Santa Fe.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 176% more expensive than Santa Fe, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Santa Fe is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$7.08 ARS 10.1K

124.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$16.21 ARS 23.1K

299.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$7.53 ARS 10.7K

39.58%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$1.68 ARS 2,402

70.83%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$1.33 ARS 1,893

68.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.16 ARS 1,656

29.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$1.19 ARS 1,694

193.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$2.56 ARS 3,647

51.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.01 ARS 1,443

12.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.99 ARS 1,412

76.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.79 ARS 2,557

-1.68%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$1.46 ARS 2,089

120.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$8.97 ARS 12.8K

50.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$6.06 ARS 8,643

30.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$8.09 ARS 11.5K

96.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.89 ARS 2,696

22.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$2.08 ARS 2,973

-18.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$0.92 ARS 1,309

118.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.72 ARS 3,886

-9.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$0.51 ARS 734

260.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.37 ARS 1,960

45.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.92 ARS 1,319

109.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$1.86 ARS 2,659

-57.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$3.33 ARS 4,751

98.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$4.86 ARS 6,937

17.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.25 ARS 1,778

9.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$3.18 ARS 4,535

-6.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.03 ARS 1,462

130.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$0.99 ARS 1,412

333.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.87 ARS 1,240

-5.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$5.90 ARS 8,410

210.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.07 ARS 1,524

92.52%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$29.8K ARS 42.6M

14.88%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$29.5K ARS 42.1M

33.17%

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

$148 €127

$55.0 ARS 78.5K

168.85%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$7.76 ARS 11.1K

164.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$14.82 ARS 21.1K

167.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$39.67 ARS 56.6K

20.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$13.54 ARS 19.3K

39.73%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$5.02 ARS 7,168

82.87%

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

$614 €528

$221 ARS 315.2K

177.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$1,061 ARS 1.5M

1412.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$62.1 ARS 88.6K

68.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$58.9 ARS 84.0K

-28.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$108 ARS 154.5K

-13.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$95.4 ARS 136.0K

25.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$319 ARS 454.5K

410.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$200 ARS 285.1K

528.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$585 ARS 834.3K

418.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$327 ARS 467.1K

517.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$1,268 ARS 1.8M

515.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$1,037 ARS 1.5M

312.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$824 ARS 1.2M

94.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

100

-96.19%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Santa Fe: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $319 in Santa Fe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 95% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $16.00 in Santa Fe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $206 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 176% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $801 including rent). Santa Fe is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 95% more on average, 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $319 in Santa Fe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $801 in Santa Fe – a 176% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $801 in Santa Fe versus $2,210 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 176% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.