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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,720 in Santa Isabel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $2,426 in Santa Isabel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $3,133 in Santa Isabel.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 28% more expensive than Santa Isabel, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Santa Isabel 28% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$8.41 $8.41

89.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$75.3 $75.3

-13.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$6.09 $6.09

72.58%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.02 $2.02

42.08%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$1.31 $1.31

70.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$1.38 $1.38

8.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$2.21 $2.21

57.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$3.72 $3.72

4.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.31 $1.31

-12.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$3.23 $3.23

-45.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$2.21 $2.21

-20.36%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$6.14 $6.14

-47.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.62

$8.74 $8.74

54.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$8.36 $8.36

-5.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$12.91 $12.91

22.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$5.82 $5.82

-60.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$2.66 $2.66

-36.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$3.80 $3.80

-47.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$4.08 $4.08

-39.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$3.90 $3.90

-52.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$2.90 $2.90

-31.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$3.13 $3.13

-38.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$1.98 $1.98

-60.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$12.23 $12.23

-45.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$15.81 $15.81

-63.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$2.46 $2.46

-44.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$3.13 $3.13

-5.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.23

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.67 $0.67

22.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$15.05 $15.05

21.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.95 $0.95

116.84%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$23.2K $23.2K

47.92%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$22.7K $22.7K

73.30%

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

$148 €127

$490 $490

-69.80%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$78.9 $78.9

-73.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.11

$60.9 $60.9

-34.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.20

$49.32 $49.32

-2.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$7.31 $7.31

25.58%

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

$614 €529

$466 $466

31.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$10.3K $10.3K

55.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$45.22 $45.22

131.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.22

$35.02 $35.02

20.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$91.1 $91.1

3.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$70.6 $70.6

69.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,402

$509 $509

219.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$371 $371

237.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$1,776 $1,776

70.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,740

$557 $557

262.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,716

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,679

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,381

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.75

-19.79%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Santa Isabel: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $509 in Santa Isabel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $75.0 in Santa Isabel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $370 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 Isabel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Santa Isabel differ by about 28% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,720 including rent). Santa Isabel is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,315 in Lisbon and $2,580 in Santa Isabel to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $509 in Santa Isabel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 37% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $1,720 in Santa Isabel – a 28% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,720 in Santa Isabel versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Santa Isabel but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Santa Isabel 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 Isabel 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 Isabel gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.