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: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $870 in Santiago City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,357 in Santiago City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $1,844 in Santiago City.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 161% more expensive than in Santiago City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Santiago City is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.09

$6.39 ₱398

174.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.5

$39.81 ₱2,483

61.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.01

$4.56 ₱284

155.48%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.80

$2.65 ₱165

23.02%

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

$2.49 €2.14

$1.12 ₱70.0

122.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.49 ₱30.37

240.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$2.34 ₱146

48.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.07

$3.14 ₱196

14.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.83 ₱114

-35.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.67

$1.30 ₱81.1

50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.34

$1.06 ₱66.3

47.17%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.45

$1.43 ₱89.3

180.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.41

$7.27 ₱453

82.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.24

$4.82 ₱301

74.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.68

$6.95 ₱433

162.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$2.33 ₱145

-0.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.98 ₱123

-12.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.66

$3.29 ₱205

-41.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.30 ₱143

14.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.63

$3.48 ₱217

-45.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$3.59 ₱224

-41.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.07 ₱67.0

34.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.53 ₱32.83

50.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.03

$2.59 ₱162

170.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.09

$7.98 ₱498

-25.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.17

$1.38 ₱85.9

-1.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.07 ₱129

3.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.27 ₱16.91

781.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.74

$11.15 ₱695

314.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.60

$0.66 ₱41.45

534.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.94

$0.23 ₱14.37

378.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.84

$1.96 ₱122

780.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.93

$1.24 ₱77.6

81.45%

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

$34.5K €29.6K

$21.6K ₱1.3M

59.67%

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

$41.6K €35.8K

$19.8K ₱1.2M

110.10%

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

$171 €147

$153 ₱9,540

11.69%

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

$19.01 €16.34

$16.42 ₱1,024

15.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.48

$31.65 ₱1,973

8.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.69

$32.63 ₱2,035

52.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.77

$4.83 ₱301

303.93%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.68

$7.07 ₱441

42.86%

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

$699 €601

$135 ₱8,394

419.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$7,574 ₱472.3K

134.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.9

$32.56 ₱2,030

221.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.24

$19.82 ₱1,236

142.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.6

$80.9 ₱5,044

25.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €110

$56.4 ₱3,516

127.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,428

$266 ₱16.6K

525.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,056

$175 ₱10.9K

600.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,506

$505 ₱31.5K

477.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,740

$354 ₱22.1K

470.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €6,989

$2,628 ₱163.9K

209.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,985

$1,058 ₱66.0K

337.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,392

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

7.5

-49.60%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Santiago City: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $266 in Santiago City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $40.00 in Santiago City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $212 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 161% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $870 including rent). Santiago City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,402 in Lisbon and $1,304 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $266 in Santiago City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $135 in Santiago City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $870 in Santiago City versus $2,268 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 161% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.