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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $814 in Santa Fe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,245 in Santa Fe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,677 in Santa Fe.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 182% more expensive than in Santa Fe, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Santa Fe is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$6.84 ARS 10.1K

136.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$16.80 ARS 24.8K

276.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$7.58 ARS 11.2K

36.15%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$1.63 ARS 2,414

73.62%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$1.33 ARS 1,961

72.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$1.17 ARS 1,731

35.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$1.25 ARS 1,845

172.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$2.47 ARS 3,657

63.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$0.99 ARS 1,463

10.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$0.97 ARS 1,435

80.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.81 ARS 2,669

-2.76%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$1.53 ARS 2,260

107.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$8.83 ARS 13.0K

49.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$5.84 ARS 8,628

36.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$8.18 ARS 12.1K

89.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.89 ARS 2,795

25.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$2.17 ARS 3,212

-21.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$0.98 ARS 1,449

105.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$2.64 ARS 3,900

-7.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.52 ARS 764

238.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.42 ARS 2,101

42.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.91 ARS 1,351

110.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.87 ARS 2,765

-54.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$3.34 ARS 4,930

97.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$4.89 ARS 7,226

14.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.26 ARS 1,862

5.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$3.16 ARS 4,668

-6.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$1.02 ARS 1,512

123.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$0.99 ARS 1,459

327.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.92 ARS 1,366

-11.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$6.16 ARS 9,109

199.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.06 ARS 1,570

96.23%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$30.2K ARS 44.7M

14.68%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$29.3K ARS 43.3M

33.63%

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

$148 €130

$54.7 ARS 80.9K

170.66%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$8.07 ARS 11.9K

153.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$14.71 ARS 21.7K

168.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$40.01 ARS 59.1K

19.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

$13.55 ARS 20.0K

37.27%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$4.86 ARS 7,187

89.71%

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

$616 €539

$216 ARS 318.8K

185.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$1,092 ARS 1.6M

1406.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$62.0 ARS 91.6K

65.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$60.2 ARS 89.0K

-30.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$109 ARS 160.8K

-12.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$96.1 ARS 142.1K

26.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$313 ARS 462.9K

421.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$201 ARS 297.0K

513.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$581 ARS 858.1K

433.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$322 ARS 476.3K

530.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

$1,247 ARS 1.8M

527.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

$1,035 ARS 1.5M

323.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

$831 ARS 1.2M

93.38%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Santa Fe: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $313 in Santa Fe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 93% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $17.00 in Santa Fe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 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 182% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $814 including rent). Santa Fe is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 93% 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $313 in Santa Fe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,291 per month in Lisbon versus $814 in Santa Fe – a 182% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $814 in Santa Fe versus $2,291 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 182% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.