Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Santorini Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Santorini

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $2,146 in Santorini.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $3,116 in Santorini.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $4,086 in Santorini.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 7% more expensive than in Santorini, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Santorini 61% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$19.77 €17.29

-18.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$90.4 €79.1

-29.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$16.07 €14.06

-35.78%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$4.71 €4.12

-39.92%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$3.81 €3.33

-39.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$1.40 €1.22

12.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$5.78 €5.06

-41.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$7.47 €6.53

-46.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$2.09 €1.83

-47.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.42 €1.24

23.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$3.39 €2.96

-48.08%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$6.82 €5.97

-53.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$14.85 €12.99

-11.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$7.73 €6.76

3.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$16.32 €14.28

-4.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$2.83 €2.47

-16.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$2.26 €1.98

-24.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.71 €1.50

17.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$3.40 €2.98

-28.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.56 €2.24

-31.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.20 €1.05

69.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.94 €0.82

104.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.67 €0.58

26.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$6.84 €5.98

-3.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$5.83 €5.10

-4.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$2.06 €1.80

-35.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.96 €2.59

0.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$2.73 €2.39

-16.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$4.50 €3.93

-6.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$13.94 €12.19

32.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$2.18 €1.91

-4.59%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$31.7K €27.8K

9.20%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$26.3K €23.0K

49.08%

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

$148 €130

$324 €284

-54.32%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$45.62 €39.92

-55.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$34.07 €29.80

16.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$82.0 €71.8

-41.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

$25.84 €22.61

-28.02%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$7.02 €6.14

31.34%

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

$616 €539

$627 €549

-1.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$6,010 €5,258

173.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$69.7 €61.0

47.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$51.7 €45.21

-19.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$78.5 €68.7

20.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$115 €101

6.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$499 €437

226.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$787 €688

56.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$1,340 €1,172

131.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$1,057 €925

92.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

$5,168 €4,521

51.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

$3,425 €2,996

28.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

$1,232 €1,078

30.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.15

-8.19%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Santorini: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $499 in Santorini. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 30% 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 $90.0 in Santorini for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $309 per month, with Lisbon 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 Santorini: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Santorini differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $2,146 including rent). Santorini is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 30% 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 $499 in Santorini. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $627 in Santorini. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 16% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,146 in Santorini versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Santorini but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Santorini 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 Santorini 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 Santorini gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.