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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,217 in Lisbon versus $1,301 in Santa Lucia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,245 in Lisbon versus $1,832 in Santa Lucia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,272 in Lisbon versus $2,363 in Santa Lucia.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 70% more expensive than Santa Lucia, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Santa Lucia is 2% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.78 €13.59

$9.84 CUP 236

60.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.5 €53.8

$29.72 CUP 713

110.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 €9.07

$7.12 CUP 171

48.03%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.38

$3.33 CUP 80.0

-16.82%

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

$2.28 €1.97

$1.09 CUP 26.09

109.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.33

$0.91 CUP 21.88

70.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.55 €3.05

$1.96 CUP 46.97

81.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 €3.43

$3.08 CUP 74.0

29.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.98 CUP 47.61

-45.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.86 CUP 44.71

-4.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.46 CUP 34.92

21.23%

Eggs

$3.12 €2.69

$3.55 CUP 85.3

-12.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.34 €11.49

$6.24 CUP 150

113.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.88

$5.65 CUP 135

41.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.92 €13.70

$11.15 CUP 268

42.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$2.72 CUP 65.2

-16.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.42

$1.51 CUP 36.24

8.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 €1.70

$2.03 CUP 48.63

-2.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.18 CUP 52.4

12.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.94 CUP 46.63

-8.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.78 CUP 42.66

10.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.70

$0.98 CUP 23.54

101.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$1.02 CUP 24.47

-21.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.54 €5.63

$4.11 CUP 98.6

59.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.75 €4.95

$11.89 CUP 285

-51.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 €1.13

$1.61 CUP 38.73

-18.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 €2.57

$2.33 CUP 55.9

28.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.34 €2.01

$0.19 CUP 4.56

1131.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.85 €39.48

$25.31 CUP 607

81.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.26 €3.66

$3.23 CUP 77.6

31.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.41 CUP 9.85

104.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.86 €16.24

$15.12 CUP 363

24.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.03 CUP 24.77

100.97%

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

$35.2K €30.3K

$71.2K CUP 1.7M

-50.51%

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

$38.6K €33.2K

$79.8K CUP 1.9M

-51.59%

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

$151 €130

$35.59 CUP 854

324.64%

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

$20.91 €18.00

$15.02 CUP 361

39.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.54 €34.05

$253 CUP 6,083

-84.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.39 €41.67

$39.95 CUP 959

21.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.61 €16.02

$14.73 CUP 354

26.34%

Cinema Ticket

$9.04 €7.79

$0.99 CUP 23.69

813.13%

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

$610 €525

$165 CUP 3,963

269.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$4,000 CUP 96.0K

306.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €87.2

$70.6 CUP 1,695

43.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.58 €34.94

$54.7 CUP 1,312

-25.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.0 €80.1

$100 CUP 2,410

-7.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$104 CUP 2,496

14.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,603 €1,380

$542 CUP 13.0K

195.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,239 €1,067

$348 CUP 8,350

256.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,019 €2,599

$754 CUP 18.1K

300.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,061 €1,775

$490 CUP 11.8K

320.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,981 €6,872

$336 CUP 8,075

2272.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,533 €3,903

$370 CUP 8,873

1126.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,628 €1,402

$55.5 CUP 1,331

2834.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.94

-22.87%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 15, 2026

Last update for Santa Lucia: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,603 in Lisbon and $542 in Santa Lucia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 2835% 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: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $30.00 in Santa Lucia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $243 per month, with Santa Lucia 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 Lucia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Santa Lucia differ by about 70% in total monthly costs ($2,217 vs $1,301 including rent). Santa Lucia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 2835% 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: $1,603 in Lisbon versus $542 in Santa Lucia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $610 in Lisbon versus $165 in Santa Lucia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,301 in Santa Lucia versus $2,217 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Santa Lucia but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Santa Lucia 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 Lucia 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 Lucia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 70% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.