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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $676 in Santa Maria.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,082 in Santa Maria.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,488 in Santa Maria.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 227% more expensive than Santa Maria, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Santa Maria is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$4.41 R$22.32

260.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$26.70 R$135

142.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$6.39 R$32.32

64.48%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$1.36 R$6.88

111.03%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.94 R$4.78

138.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.59 R$2.99

154.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$1.45 R$7.35

140.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$3.55 R$17.97

9.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.83 R$4.21

37.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.38 R$6.97

26.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.06 R$5.35

66.04%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$1.50 R$7.60

114.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.62

$8.47 R$42.85

59.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$3.58 R$18.14

120.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$7.62 R$38.53

108.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.08 R$10.51

11.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.26 R$6.37

34.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.31 R$6.65

53.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.47 R$7.43

67.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.09 R$5.53

68.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.08 R$5.45

85.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.77 R$3.87

150.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.62 R$3.12

27.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$1.95 R$9.89

238.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$7.74 R$39.15

-26.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.01 R$5.11

35.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.89 R$9.59

57.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.94 R$4.74

152.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.23

$26.77 R$135

70.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$1.58 R$8.02

171.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.04 R$5.26

-21.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$5.28 R$26.71

246.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.99 R$5.02

108.08%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$23.1K R$116.9K

48.31%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$27.1K R$137.1K

45.03%

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

$148 €127

$48.41 R$245

205.45%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$14.90 R$75.4

37.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.11

$16.45 R$83.2

140.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.20

$21.75 R$110

120.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$11.02 R$55.7

71.69%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$5.15 R$26.03

78.25%

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

$614 €529

$142 R$716

333.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$2,668 R$13.5K

501.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$49.06 R$248

113.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.22

$38.92 R$197

8.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$81.3 R$411

15.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$57.0 R$288

109.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,402

$272 R$1,379

497.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$156 R$788

705.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$573 R$2,901

428.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,740

$333 R$1,687

505.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,716

$1,954 R$9,884

299.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,679

$683 R$3,455

525.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,381

$623 R$3,154

157.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

-61.90%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Santa Maria: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $272 in Santa Maria. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 157% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $27.00 in Santa Maria for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $169 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 227% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $676 including rent). Santa Maria is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 157% 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $272 in Santa Maria. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $142 in Santa Maria. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 59% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $676 in Santa Maria versus $2,210 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 227% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.