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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $660 in Santiago City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,043 in Santiago City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,426 in Santiago City.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 235% more expensive than Santiago City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Santiago City is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$6.46 ₱399

146.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$13.04 ₱804

396.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$3.57 ₱220

194.40%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$0.93 ₱57.3

208.60%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.77 ₱47.33

190.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.33 ₱20.42

354.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$1.09 ₱66.9

220.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$1.72 ₱106

125.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.58 ₱97.6

-27.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.27 ₱78.5

37.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$0.77 ₱47.71

128.57%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$1.52 ₱93.5

111.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$2.51 ₱155

437.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$3.28 ₱202

141.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$5.60 ₱345

183.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.65 ₱164

-12.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.04 ₱63.9

63.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$0.70 ₱43.00

187.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.42 ₱87.8

73.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$3.45 ₱213

-46.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.09 ₱67.4

83.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.82 ₱50.3

135.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$1.00 ₱61.6

-21.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$2.28 ₱141

189.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$3.79 ₱233

50.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.08 ₱66.7

26.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.73 ₱106

71.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.26 ₱15.94

811.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$0.83 ₱51.4

416.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.14 ₱8.42

485.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$3.51 ₱216

421.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.09 ₱67.3

88.99%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$22.4K ₱1.4M

53.00%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$17.6K ₱1.1M

123.75%

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

$148 €127

$75.2 ₱4,637

96.61%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$26.73 ₱1,648

-23.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$22.70 ₱1,400

74.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$33.61 ₱2,072

42.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$4.55 ₱281

315.82%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$5.40 ₱333

70.00%

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

$614 €528

$88.8 ₱5,472

591.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$4,353 ₱268.4K

268.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$42.33 ₱2,610

147.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$23.73 ₱1,464

77.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$53.3 ₱3,287

76.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$40.02 ₱2,468

199.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$262 ₱16.1K

521.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$178 ₱11.0K

606.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$597 ₱36.8K

407.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$400 ₱24.6K

405.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$2,351 ₱145.0K

231.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$962 ₱59.3K

344.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$218 ₱13.5K

634.49%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Santiago City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $262 in Santiago City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 634% 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 $13.00 in Santiago City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $152 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 235% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $660 including rent). Santiago City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 634% 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 $262 in Santiago City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 77% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $660 in Santiago City – a 235% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $660 in Santiago City versus $2,210 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 235% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.