Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Santos Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Santos

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $1,091 in Santos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $1,664 in Santos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $2,238 in Santos.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 112% more expensive than in Santos, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Santos is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.89

$7.83 R$40.10

120.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$30.45 R$156

107.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.80

$6.66 R$34.11

71.02%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.75

$2.63 R$13.49

21.29%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$1.37 R$7.03

78.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.94 R$4.84

87.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$2.53 R$12.96

41.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$2.88 R$14.75

17.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.03 R$5.27

20.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.76 R$9.04

12.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.31 R$6.73

16.03%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.48

$2.42 R$12.42

66.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.65

$11.44 R$58.6

18.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.22

$4.58 R$23.47

83.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.70

$9.59 R$49.14

90.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$2.07 R$10.60

10.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.26 R$6.46

38.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.97 R$10.07

-5.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$1.78 R$9.10

47.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.26 R$6.47

52.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$1.30 R$6.64

60.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.17 R$5.98

23.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$0.92 R$4.72

-8.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$2.38 R$12.17

184.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$7.85 R$40.20

-27.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.35 R$6.94

2.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$1.91 R$9.78

16.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$1.03 R$5.29

133.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.25

$47.31 R$242

-1.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$1.45 R$7.43

187.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.52 R$7.76

-25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.21

$17.13 R$87.8

3.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.19 R$6.08

94.96%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$23.1K R$118.3K

53.09%

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

$41.4K €35.7K

$32.1K R$164.6K

28.98%

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

$170 €147

$101 R$517

68.79%

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

$19.34 €16.64

$11.63 R$59.6

66.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.95

$21.30 R$109

57.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.39

$27.94 R$143

72.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.12

$54.0 R$277

-63.13%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.54

$8.79 R$45.02

12.86%

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

$717 €617

$274 R$1,405

161.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$9,873 R$50.6K

77.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$53.7 R$275

95.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.40

$36.85 R$189

27.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.0

$93.7 R$480

10.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$58.1 R$298

113.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,443

$528 R$2,706

217.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,094

$408 R$2,091

211.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,568

$949 R$4,864

214.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,715

$671 R$3,437

197.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,734

$2,408 R$12.3K

224.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,008

$1,724 R$8,833

170.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,362

$569 R$2,914

178.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

12.79

-70.37%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Santos: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $528 in Santos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 178% 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 $30.00 in Santos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $212 per month, with Santos 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 Santos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Santos differ by about 112% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $1,091 including rent). Santos is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 178% 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: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $528 in Santos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $717 in Lisbon versus $274 in Santos. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,091 in Santos versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Santos but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Santos 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 Santos 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 Santos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 112% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.