Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint-Denis and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Saint-Denis: $1,791 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Saint-Denis, Reunion
Lisbon, Portugal
Saint-Denis
🇷🇪 Reunion
$1,791
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Saint-Denis and in Lisbon

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,791 in Saint-Denis versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

  • Saint-Denis $1,791
  • Lisbon $2,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,170 in Saint-Denis versus $3,275 in Lisbon.

  • Saint-Denis $3,170
  • Lisbon $3,275

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,549 in Saint-Denis versus $4,341 in Lisbon.

  • Saint-Denis $4,549
  • Lisbon $4,341

Living in Saint-Denis costs roughly 19% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Saint-Denis 32% above, Lisbon 62% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Saint-Denis
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.21 €11.87
$16.65 €14.95
-20.66%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$78.7 €70.7
$61.7 €55.5
27.45%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$15.42 €13.85
$11.36 €10.20
35.74%
Cappuccino
$3.66 €3.29
$2.97 €2.67
23.23%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.62 €2.36
$2.29 €2.06
14.41%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.53 €2.27
$1.74 €1.56
45.40%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.32 €2.98
$3.40 €3.06
-2.35%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.80 €4.31
$3.31 €2.97
45.02%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Saint-Denis
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.73 €1.55
$1.16 €1.04
49.14%
White Bread (500g)
-
$1.91 €1.72
-
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.99 €2.68
$1.51 €1.36
98.01%
Eggs
$4.71 €4.23
$4.02 €3.61
17.16%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$20.23 €18.17
$12.94 €11.62
56.34%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.36 €12.01
$7.77 €6.98
71.94%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$33.95 €30.49
$17.76 €15.95
91.16%
Apples (1kg)
-
$2.30 €2.07
-
Banana (1kg)
-
$1.73 €1.56
-
Oranges (1kg)
-
$1.86 €1.67
-
Tomato (1kg)
$5.70 €5.12
$2.59 €2.33
120.08%
Potato (1kg)
-
$1.82 €1.64
-
Onion (1kg)
$4.42 €3.97
$1.97 €1.77
124.37%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.25 €2.02
$1.47 €1.32
53.06%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.91 €1.71
$0.72 €0.65
165.28%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.15 €10.02
$6.58 €5.91
69.45%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.15 €10.91
$5.61 €5.04
116.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.44 €3.09
$1.36 €1.22
152.94%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.36 €3.02
$2.14 €1.92
57.01%
🚌 Getting Around
Saint-Denis
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.52 €2.27
$2.33 €2.10
8.15%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$42.66 €38.33
$44.68 €40.14
-4.52%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
-
$3.85 €3.46
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$1.07 €0.96
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$16.46 €14.79
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.92 €1.73
$2.20 €1.98
-12.73%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
-
$34.2K €30.7K
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
-
$38.7K €34.8K
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Saint-Denis
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$147 €132
$161 €145
-8.67%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.33 €15.57
$18.41 €16.54
-5.87%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$43.64 €39.20
$32.74 €29.41
33.29%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Saint-Denis
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.02 €33.25
$44.55 €40.02
-16.90%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$13.24 €11.89
$19.10 €17.16
-30.68%
Cinema Ticket
$11.30 €10.15
$9.60 €8.62
17.71%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Saint-Denis
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
-
$668 €600
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$17.6K €15.8K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Saint-Denis
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$144 €129
$102 €91.6
41.19%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
-
$44.46 €39.94
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$125 €112
$98.5 €88.5
26.80%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$111 €99.4
$124 €111
-10.53%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Saint-Denis
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$907 €815
$1,608 €1,445
-43.62%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$662 €594
$1,190 €1,069
-44.40%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,500 €1,347
$2,812 €2,526
-46.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,906 €1,712
$2,013 €1,808
-5.31%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$7,839 €7,042
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$4,576 €4,110
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Saint-Denis
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,126 €1,910
$1,575 €1,415
35.01%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
0
3.85
-

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

Last update for Saint-Denis: October 26, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Saint-Denis
–
Lisbon
$1.2K
Groceries & Markets
Saint-Denis
–
Lisbon
$272
Eating Out
Saint-Denis
–
Lisbon
$243
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Saint-Denis
–
Lisbon
$212
Clothing & Footwear
Saint-Denis
–
Lisbon
$166
Sport & Entertainment
Saint-Denis
–
Lisbon
$64
Getting Around
Saint-Denis
–
Lisbon
$63

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $907 in Saint-Denis and $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint-Denis pays 35% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $79 in Saint-Denis vs $62 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $395 vs $272 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇷🇪 Saint-Denis
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
00:28 12:28 AM
20:28 8:28 PM
4 h behind Saint-Denis
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
154,765 Capital
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Saint-Denis Lisbon 9,430 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Saint-Denis
  • Lisbon

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
Saint-Denis vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Saint-Denis and in Lisbon?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,791 in Saint-Denis and $2,210 in Lisbon, so Saint-Denis is about 19% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Saint-Denis or Lisbon?
Average pay runs 35% higher in Saint-Denis, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Saint-Denis and in Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $907 in Saint-Denis versus $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 31% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city is more expensive overall: Saint-Denis or Lisbon?
All in, you’ll spend $1,791 per month in Saint-Denis versus $2,210 in Lisbon – Saint-Denis is about 19% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
How far does $3,000 go in Saint-Denis compared to Lisbon?
Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Saint-Denis gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
How does quality of life compare between Saint-Denis and Lisbon?
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.

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