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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $2,090 in Santorini.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $3,039 in Santorini.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $3,988 in Santorini.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 6% more expensive than Santorini, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Santorini 56% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$20.01 €17.23

-20.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$92.1 €79.3

-29.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$16.37 €14.09

-35.80%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$4.68 €4.03

-38.68%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$3.85 €3.32

-41.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$1.38 €1.19

8.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$5.94 €5.11

-41.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$7.39 €6.36

-47.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$2.07 €1.78

-44.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.43 €1.23

22.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$3.43 €2.95

-48.69%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$7.03 €6.06

-54.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.62

$15.16 €13.05

-11.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$7.85 €6.76

0.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$16.15 €13.91

-1.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.86 €2.47

-19.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$2.26 €1.94

-24.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.73 €1.49

16.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$3.53 €3.04

-30.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$2.60 €2.24

-29.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.23 €1.06

62.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.96 €0.83

101.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.62 €0.54

27.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$6.89 €5.94

-4.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$5.92 €5.10

-3.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$2.03 €1.75

-32.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.83 €2.44

4.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.73 €2.36

-13.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.23

$46.89 €40.38

-2.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$4.53 €3.90

-5.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$13.59 €11.70

34.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$2.26 €1.95

-8.85%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$31.6K €27.2K

8.49%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$26.3K €22.6K

49.47%

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

$148 €127

$316 €272

-53.13%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$46.74 €40.25

-56.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.11

$35.33 €30.43

12.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.20

$80.9 €69.6

-40.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$25.93 €22.33

-27.03%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$7.11 €6.12

29.11%

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

$614 €529

$608 €523

1.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$5,892 €5,073

172.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$69.1 €59.5

51.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.22

$51.8 €44.59

-18.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$78.2 €67.3

20.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$117 €101

2.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,402

$497 €428

227.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$800 €689

56.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$1,322 €1,138

129.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,740

$1,078 €928

87.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,716

$5,197 €4,475

50.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,679

$3,457 €2,976

23.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,381

$1,232 €1,061

30.11%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Santorini: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $497 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $92.0 in Santorini for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $312 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 6% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $2,090 including rent). Santorini is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 30% 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 $497 in Santorini. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $608 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 $2,090 in Santorini versus $2,210 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 6% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.