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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,270 in Santiago.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $2,013 in Santiago.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $2,756 in Santiago.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 74% more expensive than Santiago, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Santiago is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$10.93 CLP 9,777

45.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$53.1 CLP 47.5K

22.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$8.30 CLP 7,426

26.63%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$3.11 CLP 2,784

-7.72%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$1.79 CLP 1,600

25.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$1.29 CLP 1,153

16.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$3.19 CLP 2,852

9.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$4.39 CLP 3,928

-11.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.20 CLP 1,069

-5.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.59 CLP 1,420

10.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$2.18 CLP 1,947

-19.27%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$4.14 CLP 3,700

-22.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.62

$10.66 CLP 9,533

26.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$6.48 CLP 5,794

22.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$10.79 CLP 9,656

47.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.00 CLP 1,793

15.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.63 CLP 1,462

4.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.13 CLP 1,906

-5.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.84 CLP 1,643

33.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.95 CLP 1,748

-5.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.68 CLP 1,499

19.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.29 CLP 1,157

49.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$1.19 CLP 1,063

-33.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$5.56 CLP 4,975

18.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$6.77 CLP 6,058

-15.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.54 CLP 1,376

-11.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.47 CLP 2,213

20.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.85 CLP 760

178.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.23

$42.05 CLP 37.6K

8.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$0.50 CLP 448

758.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.43 CLP 1,278

-42.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$11.70 CLP 10.5K

56.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.37 CLP 1,225

50.36%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$19.6K CLP 17.6M

74.58%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$22.6K CLP 20.2M

73.88%

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

$148 €127

$133 CLP 119.3K

10.85%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$13.65 CLP 12.2K

50.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.11

$21.85 CLP 19.5K

81.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.20

$33.74 CLP 30.2K

41.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$20.94 CLP 18.7K

-9.65%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$6.55 CLP 5,864

40.15%

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

$614 €529

$436 CLP 390.2K

40.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$8,621 CLP 7.7M

86.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$55.0 CLP 49.2K

90.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.22

$32.75 CLP 29.3K

28.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$76.0 CLP 68.0K

23.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$83.5 CLP 74.7K

43.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,402

$519 CLP 464.3K

213.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$468 CLP 418.9K

168.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$1,012 CLP 905.1K

199.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,740

$888 CLP 794.1K

127.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,716

$2,891 CLP 2.6M

169.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,679

$2,897 CLP 2.6M

47.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,381

$884 CLP 790.8K

81.40%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Santiago: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $519 in Santiago. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 81% 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 $53.0 in Santiago for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $242 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 74% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,270 including rent). Santiago is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 81% 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 $519 in Santiago. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 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 11% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,270 in Santiago versus $2,210 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 74% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.