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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $2,208 in St. Julians.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $3,301 in St. Julians.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $4,394 in St. Julians.

Monthly costs are close between Lisbon and St. Julians; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, St. Julians 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.80

$18.59 €16.12

-14.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €56.2

$80.3 €69.6

-19.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.12

$11.41 €9.90

-7.89%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.49

$3.08 €2.67

-6.82%

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

$2.24 €1.95

$2.72 €2.36

-17.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$1.77 €1.54

-15.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.03

$4.71 €4.09

-25.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.37

$4.53 €3.93

-14.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.99

$1.36 €1.18

-16.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.52

$1.47 €1.28

19.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.52

$3.25 €2.82

-45.85%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.79

$3.59 €3.12

-10.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.70

$9.03 €7.83

49.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.87

$10.57 €9.17

-25.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.77

$13.69 €11.87

15.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €2.00

$3.23 €2.80

-28.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.48

$2.04 €1.77

-16.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.74

$2.84 €2.47

-29.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.13

$3.21 €2.78

-23.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.60

$1.87 €1.63

-1.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.74

$2.93 €2.54

-31.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.87 €1.62

3.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.93 €0.81

-15.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.73

$6.44 €5.58

2.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.97

$6.30 €5.47

-9.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$2.12 €1.84

-35.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.58

$1.85 €1.60

60.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.06

$2.34 €2.03

1.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.52

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.72

$7.11 €6.17

-39.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.90 €0.78

-8.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.88

$40.08 €34.77

-54.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.79

$1.59 €1.38

29.56%

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

$34.3K €29.7K

$25.3K €21.9K

35.76%

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

$39.3K €34.1K

$28.5K €24.7K

38.06%

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

$148 €128

$75.8 €65.7

95.18%

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

$20.52 €17.80

$28.80 €24.99

-28.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.37

$33.04 €28.66

19.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.51

$108 €93.4

-55.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.42

$37.37 €32.42

-49.37%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.97

$10.37 €9.00

-11.48%

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

$614 €533

$581 €504

5.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.9K

$11.3K €9,776

42.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.8

$101 €87.2

4.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.49

$74.4 €64.5

-43.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €81.5

$120 €104

-21.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €104

$185 €161

-35.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,412

$1,372 €1,190

18.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,089

$1,103 €957

13.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,629

$2,252 €1,954

34.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,753

$1,783 €1,547

13.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,766

$3,973 €3,447

96.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,707

$2,685 €2,329

59.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,391

$2,103 €1,824

-23.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.87

-21.77%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for St. Julians: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $1,372 in St. Julians. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

St. Julians pays 31% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $80.0 in St. Julians for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $290 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. Julians: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

On paper, St. Julians earns 31% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $1,372 in St. Julians. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $581 in St. Julians. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,208 in St. Julians versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in St. Julians but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes St. Julians 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. Julians are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

It comes down to priorities – St. Julians wins on affordability, Lisbon on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.