Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Porto and Santarem

For one person, living is cheaper in Santarem: $1,303 a month against $1,947 in Porto, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

93

Cost of Living Index in Porto
Learn more

Porto Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Santarem
Learn more

Santarem Living Index

Jump to prices

Porto

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,947

/mo nomad

Santarem

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,303

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Porto and in Santarem

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

A single person spends $1,947 per month in Porto vs $1,303 in Santarem, rent included.

Porto $1,947
Santarem $1,303

A couple spends around $2,889 per month in Porto vs $2,010 in Santarem, rent included.

Porto $2,889
Santarem $2,010

A family of three spends $3,831 per month in Porto vs $2,717 in Santarem, rent included.

Porto $3,831
Santarem $2,717

Porto costs about 49% more than Santarem, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Porto sits 43% above the global median, while Santarem is 4% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.49 €12.12

$12.18 €10.94

10.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.3 €50.5

$38.63 €34.70

45.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.26 €10.12

$8.97 €8.06

25.53%

Cappuccino

$2.75 €2.47

$1.77 €1.59

55.37%

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

$2.33 €2.09

$1.71 €1.54

36.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.23

$1.11 €1.00

23.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.31 €2.97

$2.17 €1.95

52.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 €3.93

$3.28 €2.95

33.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.04

$1.12 €1.01

2.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 €1.54

$0.47 €0.42

263.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 €1.29

$1.10 €0.98

30.91%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.60

$3.29 €2.95

21.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.83 €10.63

$10.84 €9.74

9.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.89 €6.19

$7.01 €6.30

-1.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.47 €14.79

$13.56 €12.18

21.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.14 €1.92

$2.74 €2.46

-21.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 €1.42

$1.33 €1.19

18.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 €1.68

$2.54 €2.28

-26.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.22

$2.14 €1.93

15.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 €1.60

$1.43 €1.28

24.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 €1.65

$1.58 €1.42

15.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 €1.43

$1.15 €1.03

38.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 €0.65

$0.29 €0.26

151.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.46 €5.80

$5.68 €5.10

13.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.56 €4.99

$5.71 €5.13

-2.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 €1.20

$1.22 €1.10

9.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 €2.40

$3.57 €3.21

-25.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.57 €1.41

$2.22 €1.99

-29.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.59 €40.95

$56.2 €50.5

-18.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.88 €3.48

$3.70 €3.32

4.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 €0.78

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.59 €14.90

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 €1.95

$2.10 €1.89

3.33%

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

$33.4K €30.0K

$33.3K €29.9K

0.36%

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

$36.6K €32.8K

$38.3K €34.4K

-4.58%

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

$161 €145

$127 €114

26.98%

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

$14.69 €13.19

$20.29 €18.23

-27.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.94 €32.28

$56.5 €50.7

-36.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.34 €38.03

$37.18 €33.40

13.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.21 €13.67

Cinema Ticket

$9.00 €8.08

$6.79 €6.10

32.55%

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

$563 €506

$425 €382

32.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K €9,428

$19.0K €17.0K

-44.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €91.0

$78.8 €70.8

28.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.57 €29.26

$37.35 €33.55

-12.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.2 €85.6

$107 €96.4

-11.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 €93.4

$135 €121

-23.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,314 €1,180

$653 €587

101.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$992 €892

$419 €377

136.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,301 €2,067

$1,027 €922

124.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,688 €1,516

$808 €725

109.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,381 €4,834

$2,173 €1,952

147.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,930 €3,530

$1,099 €987

257.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,601 €1,438

$1,080 €970

48.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.67

4.76

-22.90%

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

Last update for Porto: October 26, 2026

Last update for Santarem: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Porto

$992 51%

Santarem

$419 32.2% 57.7% $573

Groceries & Markets

Porto

$257 13.2%

Santarem

$224 17.2% 12.7% $33

Eating Out

Porto

$215 11%

Santarem

$174 13.4% 18.9% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Porto

$212 10.9%

Santarem

$204 15.7% 3.8% $8.1

Clothing & Footwear

Porto

$150 7.7%

Santarem

$161 12.4% 7.7% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Porto

$60 3.1%

Santarem

$51 3.9% 15.9% $9.6

Getting Around

Porto

$60 3.1%

Santarem

$69 * 5.3% 14.4% $8.7

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,314 in Porto versus $653 in Santarem. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 48% higher in Porto, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $56 in Porto versus $39 in Santarem. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $257 vs $224 – making Santarem the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Porto

🇵🇹 Santarem

🕒 Local time

23:12 11:12 PM

Same time as Porto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

231,828

58,671

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Porto Santarem 210 km

From you

Porto
Santarem

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

Porto vs Santarem: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Porto costs about 49% more than Santarem, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,920 per month in Porto and $1,954 in Santarem. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Santarem, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $653 there versus $1,314 in Porto.

Kindergarten costs $563 per month in Porto and $425 in Santarem. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 15% more in Porto, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,947 in Porto and $1,303 in Santarem. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Santarem – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Santarem. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Porto makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.