Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sao Tome Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sao Tome

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $1,237 in Sao Tome.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $1,954 in Sao Tome.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $2,672 in Sao Tome.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 87% more expensive than in Sao Tome, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Sao Tome is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.89

$9.37 STN 198

84.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$46.23 STN 975

36.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.80

$8.13 STN 171

40.10%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.75

$2.37 STN 50.1

34.60%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$1.86 STN 39.18

31.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$1.27 STN 26.83

38.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$1.72 STN 36.24

108.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$1.92 STN 40.43

76.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.66 STN 34.94

-25.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.01 STN 21.24

96.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$2.16 STN 45.56

-29.63%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.48

$5.07 STN 107

-20.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.65

$20.55 STN 434

-34.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.22

$20.10 STN 424

-58.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.70

$24.81 STN 524

-26.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$3.88 STN 81.8

-40.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.83 STN 38.59

-4.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$3.81 STN 80.4

-51.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$3.68 STN 77.5

-28.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$2.98 STN 62.8

-35.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$2.49 STN 52.5

-16.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.53 STN 11.11

171.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$2.10 STN 44.21

-60.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$2.31 STN 48.69

193.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$8.37 STN 177

-31.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.58 STN 33.23

-12.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$1.74 STN 36.74

27.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$1.46 STN 30.72

64.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.25

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$1.69 STN 35.68

146.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$2.65 STN 55.9

-56.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.21

$14.38 STN 303

22.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.82 STN 38.33

27.47%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$26.0K STN 548.7K

35.88%

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

$41.4K €35.7K

$32.6K STN 687.0K

27.29%

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

$170 €147

$238 STN 5,014

-28.32%

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

$19.34 €16.64

$32.55 STN 687

-40.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.95

$69.8 STN 1,472

-51.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.39

$35.06 STN 740

37.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.12

$26.12 STN 551

-23.81%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.54

$20.63 STN 435

-51.91%

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

$717 €617

$240 STN 5,055

199.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$2,261 STN 47.7K

672.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.40

$76.9 STN 1,623

-38.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.0

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$19.38 STN 409

539.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,443

$294 STN 6,196

470.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,094

$199 STN 4,191

539.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,568

$953 STN 20.1K

213.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,715

$454 STN 9,569

339.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,734

$1,886 STN 39.8K

315.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,008

$1,166 STN 24.6K

299.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,362

$274 STN 5,772

478.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

7.38

-48.64%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Sao Tome: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $294 in Sao Tome. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 479% 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 $46.00 in Sao Tome. Groceries flip the comparison at $283 vs $425, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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 Sao Tome: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Sao Tome differ by about 87% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $1,237 including rent). Sao Tome is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 479% 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 $294 in Sao Tome. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 50% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,316 per month in Lisbon versus $1,237 in Sao Tome – a 87% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,237 in Sao Tome versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sao Tome but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Sao Tome 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 Sao Tome 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 Sao Tome gentler on the wallet – expenses run 87% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.