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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,288 in Santiago.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $2,020 in Santiago.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $2,752 in Santiago.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 78% more expensive than in Santiago, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Santiago is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$10.72 CLP 9,983

51.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$54.8 CLP 51.0K

15.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$8.16 CLP 7,601

26.47%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$3.16 CLP 2,941

-10.44%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$1.78 CLP 1,660

28.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$1.25 CLP 1,162

26.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$3.31 CLP 3,086

2.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$4.24 CLP 3,946

-4.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.18 CLP 1,101

-7.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.53 CLP 1,429

14.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.18 CLP 2,031

-19.27%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$4.19 CLP 3,898

-24.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$10.65 CLP 9,913

23.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$6.59 CLP 6,135

20.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$11.13 CLP 10.4K

39.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$2.09 CLP 1,947

13.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.55 CLP 1,440

10.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$2.07 CLP 1,923

-2.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$1.86 CLP 1,730

30.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.95 CLP 1,820

-9.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.63 CLP 1,514

24.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.28 CLP 1,194

50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.25 CLP 1,160

-32.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$5.75 CLP 5,359

14.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$6.50 CLP 6,051

-14.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.56 CLP 1,452

-14.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.48 CLP 2,308

19.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.85 CLP 788

168.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

$42.60 CLP 39.7K

7.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$0.51 CLP 477

729.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$1.45 CLP 1,351

-44.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$11.30 CLP 10.5K

63.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.39 CLP 1,290

49.64%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$19.5K CLP 18.2M

77.34%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$22.6K CLP 21.0M

73.56%

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

$148 €130

$134 CLP 124.6K

10.68%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$13.59 CLP 12.7K

50.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$22.02 CLP 20.5K

79.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$34.67 CLP 32.3K

38.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

$21.24 CLP 19.8K

-12.43%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$6.29 CLP 5,857

46.58%

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

$616 €539

$436 CLP 406.4K

41.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$8,744 CLP 8.1M

88.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$55.3 CLP 51.5K

85.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$32.30 CLP 30.1K

29.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$77.3 CLP 71.9K

22.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$85.5 CLP 79.6K

42.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$515 CLP 479.3K

217.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$462 CLP 430.1K

166.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$989 CLP 920.7K

213.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$920 CLP 856.6K

120.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

$2,871 CLP 2.7M

172.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

$2,757 CLP 2.6M

59.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

$803 CLP 747.6K

100.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

5.18

-26.45%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Santiago: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $515 in Santiago. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 100% 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 $55.0 in Santiago for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $243 per month, with Santiago 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: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Santiago differ by about 78% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,288 including rent). Santiago is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 100% 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $515 in Santiago. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $436 in Santiago. 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 $1,288 in Santiago versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Santiago but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Santiago 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 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 gentler on the wallet – expenses run 78% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.