Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Santiago City Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Santiago City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $676 in Santiago City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,048 in Santiago City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,419 in Santiago City.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 239% more expensive than in Santiago City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Santiago City is 49% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$6.68 ₱411

142.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$13.14 ₱809

381.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$3.56 ₱219

189.89%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$0.87 ₱53.8

225.29%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$0.77 ₱47.30

197.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.33 ₱20.36

378.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$1.04 ₱63.9

226.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$1.81 ₱111

122.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.62 ₱100

-32.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.23 ₱75.5

42.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.82 ₱50.7

114.63%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$1.52 ₱93.4

108.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$2.50 ₱154

427.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$3.10 ₱191

157.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$5.34 ₱329

190.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$2.71 ₱167

-12.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.02 ₱63.1

67.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$0.73 ₱45.14

175.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$1.42 ₱87.6

71.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$3.42 ₱211

-48.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.09 ₱67.3

86.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.75 ₱46.08

156.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.93 ₱57.4

-8.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$2.23 ₱138

195.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$7.95 ₱490

-29.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.03 ₱63.7

29.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$1.70 ₱104

74.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.26 ₱15.84

776.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$0.79 ₱48.47

435.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.13 ₱8.07

523.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$3.50 ₱215

426.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.15 ₱70.9

80.87%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$22.2K ₱1.4M

55.91%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$17.2K ₱1.1M

128.28%

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

$148 €130

$75.8 ₱4,668

95.27%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$26.94 ₱1,659

-24.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$22.95 ₱1,413

72.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$33.52 ₱2,063

43.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

$4.51 ₱277

312.42%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$5.17 ₱318

78.34%

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

$616 €539

$88.9 ₱5,471

593.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$4,283 ₱263.7K

283.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$41.93 ₱2,581

144.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$23.78 ₱1,464

75.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$53.1 ₱3,270

78.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$39.75 ₱2,447

206.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$268 ₱16.5K

509.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$173 ₱10.7K

610.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$592 ₱36.5K

423.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$397 ₱24.4K

411.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

$2,518 ₱155.0K

211.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

$867 ₱53.3K

406.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

6.67

-42.88%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Santiago City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $268 in Santiago City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $13.00 in Santiago City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $158 per month, with Santiago City 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 Santiago City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Santiago City differ by about 239% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $676 including rent). Santiago City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,437 in Lisbon and $1,014 in Santiago City 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $268 in Santiago City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 69% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,291 per month in Lisbon versus $676 in Santiago City – a 239% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $676 in Santiago City versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Santiago City but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Santiago City 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 Santiago City 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 Santiago City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 239% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.