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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,052 in Santa Marta.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,421 in Santa Marta.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,789 in Santa Marta.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 110% more expensive than Santa Marta, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Santa Marta is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$3.56 COP 12.7K

346.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$28.12 COP 100.4K

130.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$6.21 COP 22.2K

69.24%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$1.57 COP 5,615

82.80%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.68 COP 2,426

229.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.47 COP 1,663

219.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$0.88 COP 3,146

296.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$1.64 COP 5,865

136.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.12 COP 4,006

1.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.20 COP 4,294

45.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$0.91 COP 3,244

93.41%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.46 COP 8,782

30.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$3.56 COP 12.7K

278.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$3.86 COP 13.8K

104.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$8.02 COP 28.6K

97.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.81 COP 6,446

27.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$0.77 COP 2,736

120.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$0.99 COP 3,533

103.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$0.74 COP 2,647

232.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$0.55 COP 1,955

234.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$0.98 COP 3,515

104.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.04 COP 3,718

85.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.51 COP 1,827

54.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$2.49 COP 8,896

165.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$13.57 COP 48.5K

-57.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.48 COP 5,281

-7.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.49 COP 5,325

99.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.72 COP 2,573

229.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$14.44 COP 51.6K

215.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$1.66 COP 5,944

158.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.79 COP 6,381

-54.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$8.51 COP 30.4K

115.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.92 COP 3,271

123.91%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$21.7K COP 77.3M

58.27%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$26.3K COP 93.8M

49.60%

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

$148 €127

$196 COP 699.7K

-24.53%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$8.85 COP 31.6K

131.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$24.02 COP 85.8K

64.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$19.61 COP 70.0K

144.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$7.63 COP 27.3K

147.97%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$4.78 COP 17.1K

92.05%

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

$614 €528

$161 COP 576.7K

280.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$4,882 COP 17.4M

228.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$40.46 COP 144.5K

158.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$35.11 COP 125.4K

19.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$80.2 COP 286.3K

17.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$58.3 COP 208.2K

105.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$281 COP 1.0M

479.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$437 COP 1.6M

187.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$697 COP 2.5M

334.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$563 COP 2.0M

258.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$1,900 COP 6.8M

310.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$952 COP 3.4M

349.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$468 COP 1.7M

242.69%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Santa Marta: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $281 in Santa Marta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 243% 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 $28.00 in Santa Marta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $163 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 110% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,052 including rent). Santa Marta is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 243% 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 $281 in Santa Marta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $161 in Santa Marta. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 65% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,052 in Santa Marta versus $2,210 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 110% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.