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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,078 in Santa Marta.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,454 in Santa Marta.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,830 in Santa Marta.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 112% more expensive than in Santa Marta, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Santa Marta is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$3.66 COP 11.9K

342.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$28.29 COP 92.1K

123.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$6.22 COP 20.3K

65.92%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$1.55 COP 5,037

82.58%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$0.73 COP 2,372

213.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.46 COP 1,502

243.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$0.82 COP 2,676

314.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$1.68 COP 5,483

139.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.11 COP 3,629

-1.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.19 COP 3,869

47.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.90 COP 2,919

95.56%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.45 COP 7,960

29.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$3.69 COP 12.0K

257.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$4.07 COP 13.2K

95.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$7.85 COP 25.5K

97.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.74 COP 5,680

36.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$0.76 COP 2,470

125.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$0.98 COP 3,197

105.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$0.71 COP 2,320

242.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.51 COP 1,671

245.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.99 COP 3,231

105.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.04 COP 3,387

84.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.55 COP 1,791

54.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$2.41 COP 7,835

173.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$15.04 COP 49.0K

-62.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.46 COP 4,758

-8.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$1.41 COP 4,588

110.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.68 COP 2,208

235.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

$14.46 COP 47.1K

216.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$1.68 COP 5,481

151.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$1.79 COP 5,820

-54.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$8.42 COP 27.4K

119.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$0.98 COP 3,194

112.24%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$21.2K COP 69.0M

63.63%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$26.2K COP 85.3M

49.48%

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

$148 €130

$192 COP 625.0K

-22.89%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$8.78 COP 28.6K

133.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$24.15 COP 78.6K

63.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$19.49 COP 63.4K

146.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

$7.94 COP 25.9K

134.26%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$4.87 COP 15.8K

89.32%

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

$616 €539

$167 COP 543.1K

269.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$4,906 COP 16.0M

235.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$39.94 COP 130.0K

157.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$35.37 COP 115.2K

18.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$79.9 COP 260.0K

18.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$59.9 COP 194.9K

103.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$281 COP 913.8K

481.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$450 COP 1.5M

173.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$685 COP 2.2M

352.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$564 COP 1.8M

260.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

$2,078 COP 6.8M

276.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

$996 COP 3.2M

340.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

$530 COP 1.7M

203.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

8.62

-55.80%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Santa Marta: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $281 in Santa Marta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 203% 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 $28.00 in Santa Marta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $167 per month, with Santa Marta 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 Marta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Santa Marta differ by about 112% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,078 including rent). Santa Marta is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 203% 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $281 in Santa Marta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $167 in Santa Marta. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 60% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,078 in Santa Marta versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Santa Marta but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Santa Marta 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 Marta 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 Marta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 112% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.