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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $719 in Santa Maria.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $1,194 in Santa Maria.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $1,669 in Santa Maria.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 219% more expensive than in Santa Maria, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Santa Maria is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$5.39 R$27.78

226.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$34.61 R$178

81.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$6.99 R$36.04

65.67%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$1.72 R$8.87

80.23%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$1.03 R$5.30

141.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.61 R$3.15

185.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$1.54 R$7.95

125.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$2.86 R$14.76

20.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$0.96 R$4.96

19.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.63 R$8.42

17.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.06 R$5.46

41.51%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$2.11 R$10.86

88.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$9.15 R$47.14

45.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$3.80 R$19.56

110.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

$8.06 R$41.53

123.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$2.32 R$11.95

1.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.46 R$7.54

19.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$1.43 R$7.37

29.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$1.51 R$7.78

68.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$1.13 R$5.81

62.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$1.11 R$5.73

89.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$0.90 R$4.61

65.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.80 R$4.15

2.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$2.28 R$11.73

211.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$7.71 R$39.71

-23.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$1.13 R$5.80

15.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.16 R$11.11

-1.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$0.96 R$4.94

145.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

$29.62 R$153

57.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$1.23 R$6.31

231.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.83 R$4.27

37.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

$8.31 R$42.79

105.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.21 R$6.24

90.91%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$22.8K R$117.2K

49.98%

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

$41.4K €36.1K

$32.0K R$165.1K

29.10%

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

$169 €147

$52.1 R$269

223.33%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$12.33 R$63.6

56.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$15.98 R$82.3

109.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

$23.58 R$121

107.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

$11.62 R$59.9

67.21%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$5.53 R$28.48

73.06%

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

$696 €607

$157 R$809

342.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$2,943 R$15.2K

489.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$49.64 R$256

112.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$41.77 R$215

14.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$92.8 R$478

8.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$61.2 R$315

103.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

$286 R$1,476

480.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$162 R$836

668.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

$632 R$3,258

368.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

$375 R$1,931

446.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

$1,943 R$10.0K

303.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

$668 R$3,444

567.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

$633 R$3,263

157.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

-62.20%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Santa Maria: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $286 in Santa Maria. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 158% 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 $35.00 in Santa Maria for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $187 per month, with Santa Maria 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 Maria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Santa Maria differ by about 219% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $719 including rent). Santa Maria is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 158% 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 $286 in Santa Maria. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $157 in Santa Maria. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 48% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $719 in Santa Maria versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Santa Maria but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Santa Maria 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 Maria 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 Maria gentler on the wallet – expenses run 219% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.