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: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $1,293 in Santa Lucia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $1,823 in Santa Lucia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $2,353 in Santa Lucia.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 78% more expensive than in Santa Lucia, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Santa Lucia is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.32

$10.18 CUP 244

72.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$29.76 CUP 714

111.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.09

$7.16 CUP 172

61.73%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$3.39 CUP 81.5

-8.55%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$1.12 CUP 26.92

122.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.92 CUP 22.10

89.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$1.96 CUP 47.05

77.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$2.91 CUP 69.8

18.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.93 CUP 46.20

-40.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.80 CUP 43.27

6.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.48 CUP 35.56

1.35%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$3.64 CUP 87.4

9.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.58

$6.25 CUP 150

112.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$5.72 CUP 137

40.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.72

$11.08 CUP 266

62.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$2.78 CUP 66.6

-15.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.52

$1.53 CUP 36.79

14.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$2.02 CUP 48.43

-8.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$2.19 CUP 52.7

16.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$1.97 CUP 47.25

-6.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$1.80 CUP 43.13

16.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.29

$1.02 CUP 24.39

46.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$1.02 CUP 24.53

-19.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.18

$4.11 CUP 98.7

72.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$11.84 CUP 284

-50.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$1.64 CUP 39.30

-20.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.34 CUP 56.1

-8.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$0.18 CUP 4.30

1211.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.61

$25.29 CUP 607

84.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$3.21 CUP 77.1

27.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.39 CUP 9.27

192.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.89

$15.03 CUP 361

13.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.07 CUP 25.65

115.89%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$70.9K CUP 1.7M

-51.90%

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

$41.4K €36.0K

$79.0K CUP 1.9M

-47.62%

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

$169 €147

$34.71 CUP 833

385.59%

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

$19.33 €16.84

$15.23 CUP 366

26.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.20

$249 CUP 5,970

-86.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.55

$40.13 CUP 963

21.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.93

$15.14 CUP 363

28.34%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$1.02 CUP 24.45

838.24%

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

$696 €606

$168 CUP 4,026

314.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$4,017 CUP 96.4K

332.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.7

$69.7 CUP 1,672

51.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.60

$55.6 CUP 1,335

-14.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$98.2 CUP 2,356

2.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$107 CUP 2,561

16.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,448

$558 CUP 13.4K

197.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$353 CUP 8,474

252.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,583

$752 CUP 18.1K

294.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,785

$505 CUP 12.1K

305.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,825

$345 CUP 8,282

2170.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,889

$368 CUP 8,833

1113.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,421

$56.3 CUP 1,351

2797.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

4.94

-23.48%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Santa Lucia: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $558 in Santa Lucia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 2798% 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 $30.00 in Santa Lucia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 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 78% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $1,293 including rent). Santa Lucia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 2798% 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $558 in Santa Lucia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $168 in Santa Lucia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,293 in Santa Lucia versus $2,296 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 78% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.