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: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $918 in St.James.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,588 in St.James.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $2,259 in St.James.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 147% more expensive than in St.James, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, St.James is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$10.38 TTD 70.0

69.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$89.3 TTD 602

-27.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$8.91 TTD 60.1

30.75%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$3.64 TTD 24.56

-10.44%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$0.99 TTD 6.69

151.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.72 TTD 4.85

131.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$2.26 TTD 15.24

53.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$3.60 TTD 24.25

-0.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$2.46 TTD 16.57

-52.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$2.49 TTD 16.76

-21.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$2.78 TTD 18.76

-43.88%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$4.51 TTD 30.40

-11.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$6.60 TTD 44.47

101.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$10.26 TTD 69.2

-17.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$11.78 TTD 79.4

54.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$5.55 TTD 37.40

-58.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$3.11 TTD 20.97

-44.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$3.60 TTD 24.28

-46.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$4.42 TTD 29.78

-40.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$2.21 TTD 14.91

-14.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.93 TTD 13.01

9.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.90 TTD 12.81

-24.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$1.36 TTD 9.14

-41.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$5.95 TTD 40.08

17.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$19.36 TTD 131

-69.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$2.23 TTD 15.02

-39.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.99 TTD 20.13

-28.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$1.05 TTD 7.10

299.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$1.22 TTD 8.25

-9.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$14.93 TTD 101

15.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.11 TTD 7.49

102.70%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$37.0K TTD 249.2K

-6.74%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$41.5K TTD 280.1K

0.17%

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

$171 €147

$92.2 TTD 621

85.44%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$51.2 TTD 345

-62.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$56.6 TTD 382

-39.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$8.88 TTD 59.9

13.74%

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

$699 €603

$405 TTD 2,732

72.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$11.0K TTD 73.9K

62.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$54.5 TTD 367

91.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$52.4 TTD 353

-8.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$148 TTD 998

-31.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$104 TTD 700

23.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

5.75

-34.26%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for St.James: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $89.0 in St.James for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $358 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 147% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $918 including rent). St.James is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,402 in Lisbon and $1,377 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 27% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,268 per month in Lisbon versus $918 in St.James – a 147% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $918 in St.James versus $2,268 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 147% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.