Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and St.James Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and St.James

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $945 in St.James.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,629 in St.James.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $2,312 in St.James.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 142% more expensive than in St.James, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, St.James is 29% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$10.52 TTD 70.9

53.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$90.5 TTD 610

-29.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$7.41 TTD 49.97

39.27%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$3.75 TTD 25.29

-24.53%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$1.09 TTD 7.33

110.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.79 TTD 5.29

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$1.80 TTD 12.15

88.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$3.04 TTD 20.47

32.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$2.74 TTD 18.45

-60.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$2.75 TTD 18.51

-36.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.63 TTD 17.71

-33.08%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$4.96 TTD 33.40

-36.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$7.73 TTD 52.1

70.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$10.37 TTD 69.9

-23.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$14.12 TTD 95.2

9.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$5.66 TTD 38.17

-58.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$2.53 TTD 17.05

-32.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$4.27 TTD 28.77

-52.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$4.61 TTD 31.10

-47.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.42 TTD 9.57

23.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.68 TTD 11.30

20.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.90 TTD 12.83

1.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.41 TTD 9.53

-39.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$5.89 TTD 39.69

11.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$18.80 TTD 127

-70.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$2.12 TTD 14.30

-37.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.83 TTD 19.07

4.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$1.01 TTD 6.81

318.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$1.24 TTD 8.35

-34.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$14.80 TTD 99.8

24.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.14 TTD 7.66

82.46%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$34.6K TTD 233.2K

0.21%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$39.0K TTD 262.9K

0.37%

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

$148 €130

$81.5 TTD 549

81.72%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$46.77 TTD 315

-56.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$62.6 TTD 422

-36.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$10.19 TTD 68.7

-9.52%

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

$616 €539

$333 TTD 2,241

85.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$7,185 TTD 48.4K

128.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$60.3 TTD 407

70.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$38.23 TTD 258

9.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$145 TTD 979

-34.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$129 TTD 866

-5.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

5.38

-29.18%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for St.James: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $90.0 in St.James for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $372 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 St.James: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and St.James differ by about 142% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $945 including rent). St.James is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,437 in Lisbon and $1,417 in St.James to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 39% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,291 per month in Lisbon versus $945 in St.James – a 142% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $945 in St.James versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in St.James but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes St.James 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 St.James 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 St.James gentler on the wallet – expenses run 142% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.