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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $924 in St.James.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,635 in St.James.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $2,346 in St.James.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 139% more expensive than St.James, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, St.James is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$10.25 TTD 68.7

55.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$89.9 TTD 602

-27.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$7.45 TTD 49.93

41.07%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$3.64 TTD 24.39

-21.15%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$1.10 TTD 7.36

103.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.83 TTD 5.57

80.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$1.90 TTD 12.72

83.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$3.16 TTD 21.17

22.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$2.77 TTD 18.54

-58.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$2.70 TTD 18.09

-35.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$2.66 TTD 17.83

-33.83%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$5.04 TTD 33.76

-36.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$7.89 TTD 52.9

70.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$10.25 TTD 68.7

-22.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$14.52 TTD 97.3

9.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$5.97 TTD 40.00

-61.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$2.60 TTD 17.43

-34.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$4.28 TTD 28.70

-53.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$4.82 TTD 32.31

-48.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.50 TTD 10.02

22.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.66 TTD 11.10

20.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.88 TTD 12.56

2.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$1.39 TTD 9.34

-43.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$5.74 TTD 38.47

15.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$18.50 TTD 124

-69.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$2.14 TTD 14.31

-35.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.83 TTD 18.97

4.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$1.00 TTD 6.70

329.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.21 TTD 8.13

-32.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$14.61 TTD 97.9

25.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.13 TTD 7.59

82.30%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$33.4K TTD 223.5K

2.74%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$37.9K TTD 253.6K

3.80%

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

$148 €127

$79.8 TTD 534

85.39%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$46.23 TTD 310

-55.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$60.7 TTD 407

-34.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$9.72 TTD 65.1

-5.56%

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

$614 €528

$328 TTD 2,200

86.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$7,315 TTD 49.0K

119.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$58.5 TTD 392

79.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$38.84 TTD 260

8.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$146 TTD 978

-35.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$126 TTD 842

-4.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for St.James: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $90.0 in St.James for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $376 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 139% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $924 including rent). St.James is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,315 in Lisbon and $1,385 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 40% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $924 in St.James – a 139% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $924 in St.James versus $2,210 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 139% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.