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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,615 in Santa Pola.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $2,346 in Santa Pola.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $3,076 in Santa Pola.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 37% more expensive than Santa Pola, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Santa Pola 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$15.28 €13.15

4.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$57.4 €49.36

12.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$10.23 €8.80

2.74%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.18 €1.87

31.65%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$2.46 €2.11

-8.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.71 €1.47

-12.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$3.55 €3.06

-1.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$3.40 €2.92

14.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.17 €1.00

-2.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.38 €1.19

26.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.61 €1.39

9.32%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.82 €2.42

14.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$13.29 €11.44

1.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$8.41 €7.23

-5.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$14.94 €12.85

6.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.47 €2.12

-6.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.74 €1.49

-2.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.97 €1.69

2.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.55 €2.19

-3.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.71 €1.47

7.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.91 €1.64

4.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.40 €1.20

37.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.71 €0.61

11.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$6.44 €5.54

2.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$5.02 €4.31

13.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.27 €1.09

7.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.06 €1.77

44.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.70 €1.46

39.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$34.64 €29.80

31.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$4.10 €3.52

4.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.20 €1.03

-31.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$24.99 €21.50

-26.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.74 €1.49

18.39%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$38.2K €32.9K

-10.37%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$29.9K €25.7K

31.39%

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

$148 €127

$136 €117

8.92%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$20.80 €17.89

-1.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$31.68 €27.25

25.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$47.67 €41.00

0.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$15.30 €13.16

23.66%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$9.05 €7.79

1.44%

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

$614 €528

$412 €355

48.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$7,430 €6,391

116.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$83.6 €71.9

25.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$35.57 €30.60

18.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$90.0 €77.4

4.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$107 €92.1

11.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$845 €727

92.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$682 €587

83.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$1,344 €1,157

125.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$1,013 €871

99.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$3,448 €2,966

126.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$2,309 €1,986

85.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.5

8.86%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Santa Pola: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $845 in Santa Pola. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $57.0 in Santa Pola for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $257 per month, with Santa Pola 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 Pola: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Santa Pola differ by about 37% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,615 including rent). Santa Pola is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,315 in Lisbon and $2,423 in Santa Pola to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $845 in Santa Pola. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $412 in Santa Pola. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,615 in Santa Pola versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Santa Pola but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Santa Pola 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 Pola 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 Pola gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.