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: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $1,291 in Santa Lucia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,809 in Santa Lucia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $2,326 in Santa Lucia.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 77% more expensive than in Santa Lucia, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Santa Lucia is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.64

$9.81 CUP 236

60.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.0

$30.14 CUP 723

110.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.05

$7.21 CUP 173

44.94%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.52

$3.35 CUP 80.5

-13.13%

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

$2.29 €1.98

$1.07 CUP 25.66

114.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.87 CUP 20.88

72.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$1.98 CUP 47.55

79.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.43

$2.93 CUP 70.3

35.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$2.00 CUP 47.96

-46.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.81 CUP 43.39

-2.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$1.54 CUP 36.84

10.39%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.81

$3.72 CUP 89.2

-12.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.47

$6.38 CUP 153

107.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.67

$5.72 CUP 137

34.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.66

$11.04 CUP 265

42.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$2.77 CUP 66.4

-17.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$1.51 CUP 36.24

9.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$2.03 CUP 48.67

-0.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$2.27 CUP 54.6

8.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$2.02 CUP 48.55

-11.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$1.72 CUP 41.30

20.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$1.02 CUP 24.49

93.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$0.98 CUP 23.57

-15.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.68

$3.91 CUP 93.9

67.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.82

$12.20 CUP 293

-54.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$1.67 CUP 40.04

-20.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.60

$2.40 CUP 57.6

25.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$0.21 CUP 4.97

980.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

$25.16 CUP 604

84.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.66

$3.19 CUP 76.6

32.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.38 CUP 9.16

123.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.31

$14.78 CUP 355

27.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.03 CUP 24.68

96.12%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$70.3K CUP 1.7M

-50.30%

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

$39.6K €34.3K

$80.2K CUP 1.9M

-50.57%

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

$148 €128

$35.02 CUP 840

322.42%

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

$20.52 €17.77

$14.95 CUP 359

37.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.23

$252 CUP 6,042

-84.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.72

$40.32 CUP 968

19.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

$15.30 CUP 367

20.20%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.88

$1.03 CUP 24.71

783.50%

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

$615 €532

$163 CUP 3,909

277.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$4,070 CUP 97.7K

300.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$70.9 CUP 1,703

43.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.45

$54.4 CUP 1,305

-22.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €79.9

$102 CUP 2,447

-9.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$106 CUP 2,554

14.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,396

$546 CUP 13.1K

195.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,086

$357 CUP 8,556

251.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,658

$757 CUP 18.2K

305.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,764

$494 CUP 11.9K

312.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,712

$335 CUP 8,031

2216.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,712

$368 CUP 8,821

1066.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,387

$56.1 CUP 1,347

2754.22%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Santa Lucia: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $546 in Santa Lucia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 2754% 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 $267 vs $245 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 77% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $1,291 including rent). Santa Lucia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 2754% 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: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $546 in Santa Lucia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $163 in Santa Lucia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,291 in Santa Lucia versus $2,280 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 77% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.