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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $1,386 in Santa Tecla.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $2,013 in Santa Tecla.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $2,639 in Santa Tecla.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 67% more expensive than in Santa Tecla, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 69% above, Santa Tecla 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.87

$7.16 $7.16

141.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$43.78 $43.78

44.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.79

$6.87 $6.87

65.79%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.74

$3.51 $3.51

-9.12%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$1.15 $1.15

113.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.87 $0.87

102.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$1.97 $1.97

82.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$3.60 $3.60

-5.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.67 $1.67

-25.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$2.25 $2.25

-12.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.37 $1.37

10.95%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.47

$2.27 $2.27

77.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.64

$7.65 $7.65

76.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.21

$5.36 $5.36

56.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.69

$10.22 $10.22

78.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$3.17 $3.17

-27.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.54 $1.54

12.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$2.89 $2.89

-35.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$2.91 $2.91

-9.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$2.43 $2.43

-20.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$2.43 $2.43

-13.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.04 $1.04

38.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$0.97 $0.97

-13.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$3.99 $3.99

69.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$12.15 $12.15

-53.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$2.18 $2.18

-36.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$2.87 $2.87

-22.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.22

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$6.09 $6.09

-31.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$2.94 $2.94

-61.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.20

$19.79 $19.79

-10.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.22 $1.22

90.16%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$25.2K $25.2K

40.17%

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

$41.4K €35.6K

$27.4K $27.4K

51.41%

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

$170 €146

$130 $130

31.24%

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

$19.34 €16.62

$21.56 $21.56

-10.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.92

$43.03 $43.03

-21.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.35

$24.54 $24.54

96.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.11

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.53

$5.10 $5.10

94.51%

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

$717 €617

$164 $164

338.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$4,762 $4,762

267.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$66.4 $66.4

57.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.36

$46.83 $46.83

0.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €88.9

$121 $121

-14.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$117 $117

5.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,441

$763 $763

119.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,093

$586 $586

116.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,566

$1,224 $1,224

143.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,713

$903 $903

120.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,728

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,004

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,361

$414 $414

282.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

8.5

-55.41%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Santa Tecla: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $763 in Santa Tecla. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 283% 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 $44.00 in Santa Tecla for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $254 per month, with Santa Tecla 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 Tecla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Santa Tecla differ by about 67% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $1,386 including rent). Santa Tecla is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 283% 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: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $763 in Santa Tecla. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,316 per month in Lisbon versus $1,386 in Santa Tecla – a 67% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,386 in Santa Tecla versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Santa Tecla but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Santa Tecla 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 Tecla 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 Tecla gentler on the wallet – expenses run 67% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.