Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and St John

For one person, living is cheaper in St John: $320 a month against $2,202 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $22,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

St John

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$320

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in St John

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in St John actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,202 in Lisbon versus $320 in St John.

Lisbon $2,202
St John $320

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,274 in Lisbon versus $926 in St John.

Lisbon $3,274
St John $926

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $1,533 in St John.

Lisbon $4,346
St John $1,533

Living in Lisbon is roughly 588% more expensive than in St John.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 62% above, St John is 76% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.04 €15.21

$19.79 $19.79

-13.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 €55.6

$176 $176

-64.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 €9.83

Cappuccino

$3.12 €2.79

$7.03 $7.03

-55.62%

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

$2.27 €2.02

$3.07 $3.07

-26.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.56

$1.99 $1.99

-12.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 €3.06

$8.23 $8.23

-58.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 €3.34

$7.88 $7.88

-52.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.05

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.66

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 €1.38

Eggs

$4.06 €3.63

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.91 €11.53

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.05

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.64 €15.75

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 €2.02

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.56

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 €1.69

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.28

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 €1.65

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.29

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 €0.69

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.71 €5.99

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €5.06

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.22

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.89

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 €2.07

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.43 €39.65

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.95 €3.52

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 €0.94

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.15 €15.31

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 €1.96

$1.57 $1.57

39.49%

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

$33.8K €30.2K

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

$38.3K €34.2K

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

$164 €146

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

$18.48 €16.49

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.96 €29.42

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.87 €40.93

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.68 €16.67

Cinema Ticket

$9.75 €8.70

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

$684 €611

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.7K

$13.5K $13.5K

30.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €92.6

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.20 €41.23

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.7 €89.0

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €111

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 €1,418

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 €1,043

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,851 €2,544

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,993 €1,779

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,793 €6,955

$12.7K $12.7K

-38.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,418 €3,943

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,600 €1,428

$5,157 $5,157

-68.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

7.05

-45.39%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Last update for St John: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1%

St John

–

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$273 12.4%

St John

–

Eating Out

Lisbon

$247 11.2%

St John

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$215 9.8%

St John

–

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$168 7.7%

St John

–

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$65 3%

St John

–

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

St John

–

Cost Breakdown

St John pays about 3.2 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out at a mid-range restaurant: $62 in Lisbon vs $176 in St John for two.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇻🇮 St John

🕒 Local time

18:54 6:54 PM

14:54 2:54 PM

4 h behind Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

2,743

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Lisbon St John 5,790 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 John: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and St John differ by about 588% in total monthly costs ($2,202 vs $320 including rent). St John is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 69% lower in Lisbon. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Dining out is cheaper in Lisbon – a meal for two runs $62 versus $176 in St John. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,202 per month in Lisbon versus $320 in St John – a 588% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $320 in St John versus $2,202 in Lisbon, a $1,200 budget is realistic in St John but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes St John 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 John are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.