Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Santiago de Compostela Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Santiago de Compostela

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,422 in Santiago de Compostela.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $2,169 in Santiago de Compostela.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $2,916 in Santiago de Compostela.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 61% more expensive than in Santiago de Compostela, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Santiago de Compostela 6% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$13.69 €11.98

18.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$55.9 €48.94

13.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$9.96 €8.72

3.61%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$1.88 €1.65

50.53%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$2.39 €2.09

-4.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$2.03 €1.78

-22.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$3.11 €2.72

9.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$3.87 €3.38

4.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.16 €1.01

-6.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.21 €1.05

44.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.68 €1.47

4.76%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.98 €2.61

6.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$9.34 €8.18

41.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$6.47 €5.66

23.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$17.58 €15.38

-11.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.88 €1.64

26.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$2.23 €1.95

-23.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.54 €1.35

30.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$2.91 €2.54

-16.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.09 €1.83

-15.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.48 €1.30

37.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.18 €1.03

62.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.70 €0.61

21.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$6.08 €5.32

8.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$5.17 €4.52

7.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.44 €1.26

-7.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.50 €2.19

18.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$1.25 €1.09

82.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

$34.13 €29.86

34.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$4.73 €4.14

-10.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$1.23 €1.07

-34.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$22.83 €19.97

-19.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.81 €1.59

14.92%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$28.9K €25.3K

19.96%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$31.2K €27.3K

25.40%

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

$148 €130

$163 €143

-9.40%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$21.56 €18.86

-5.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$32.84 €28.73

20.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$41.87 €36.63

14.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

$2.25 €1.97

726.67%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$9.97 €8.72

-7.52%

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

$616 €539

$342 €299

80.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$8,017 €7,014

105.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$76.3 €66.8

34.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$31.64 €27.68

31.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$85.1 €74.4

11.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$94.9 €83.1

28.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$753 €659

116.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$526 €461

134.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$1,011 €884

206.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$853 €746

138.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

$3,050 €2,669

156.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

$2,197 €1,923

99.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

$1,941 €1,698

-17.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.33

14.41%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Santiago de Compostela: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $753 in Santiago de Compostela. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santiago de Compostela pays 21% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $56.0 in Santiago de Compostela for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $244 per month, with Santiago de Compostela 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 de Compostela: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Santiago de Compostela differ by about 61% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,422 including rent). Santiago de Compostela is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 21% lower in Santiago de Compostela. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $753 in Santiago de Compostela. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $342 in Santiago de Compostela. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,422 in Santiago de Compostela versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Santiago de Compostela but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Santiago de Compostela 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 de Compostela 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 de Compostela gentler on the wallet – expenses run 61% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.