Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint Helier and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint Helier and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,315 in Saint Helier versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,404 in Saint Helier versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,493 in Saint Helier versus $4,411 in Lisbon.

Living in Saint Helier is roughly 50% more expensive than Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Saint Helier 147% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$37.77 JEP 28.06

$15.91 €13.69

137.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$138 JEP 103

$64.8 €55.7

113.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.01 JEP 8.18

$10.51 €9.04

4.76%

Cappuccino

$5.11 JEP 3.80

$2.87 €2.47

78.05%

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

$3.15 JEP 2.34

$2.24 €1.93

40.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 JEP 1.91

$1.50 €1.29

71.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.24 JEP 6.12

$3.49 €3.00

136.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.37 JEP 6.22

$3.88 €3.34

115.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 JEP 1.67

$1.14 €0.98

96.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 JEP 1.72

$1.75 €1.51

32.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.44 JEP 2.56

$1.76 €1.51

95.45%

Eggs

$5.98 JEP 4.44

$3.22 €2.77

85.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.25 JEP 6.87

$13.49 €11.61

-31.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.69 JEP 8.69

$7.91 €6.81

47.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.10 JEP 14.19

$15.87 €13.65

20.35%

Apples (1kg)

$4.35 JEP 3.24

$2.31 €1.99

88.31%

Banana (1kg)

$3.16 JEP 2.35

$1.70 €1.46

85.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.31 JEP 3.20

$2.01 €1.73

114.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 JEP 3.08

$2.46 €2.12

68.70%

Potato (1kg)

$4.05 JEP 3.01

$1.84 €1.59

120.11%

Onion (1kg)

$3.92 JEP 2.91

$2.00 €1.72

96.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 JEP 1.52

$1.93 €1.66

5.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 JEP 1.82

$0.79 €0.68

210.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.74 JEP 11.70

$6.61 €5.68

138.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.62 JEP 7.89

$5.72 €4.92

85.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.51 JEP 3.35

$1.37 €1.17

229.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.35 JEP 5.46

$2.97 €2.56

147.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 JEP 2.27

$2.37 €2.04

28.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.2 JEP 51.4

$45.56 €39.19

51.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.26 JEP 4.65

$4.29 €3.69

45.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.92 JEP 2.91

$0.82 €0.70

378.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.52 JEP 24.90

$18.30 €15.74

83.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 JEP 1.61

$2.06 €1.78

5.34%

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

$22.6K JEP 16.8K

$34.3K €29.5K

-34.19%

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

$33.3K JEP 24.7K

$39.3K €33.8K

-15.24%

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

$242 JEP 180

$148 €127

63.67%

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

$24.99 JEP 18.57

$20.52 €17.65

21.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.0 JEP 55.7

$39.61 €34.08

89.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.0 JEP 51.3

$47.85 €41.16

44.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.09 JEP 18.64

$18.92 €16.28

32.61%

Cinema Ticket

$21.07 JEP 15.66

$9.18 €7.90

129.52%

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

$2,217 JEP 1,647

$614 €528

261.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.3K JEP 12.9K

$16.0K €13.8K

7.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 JEP 80.8

$105 €90.0

3.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$71.7 JEP 53.3

$42.06 €36.18

70.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 JEP 95.8

$94.0 €80.8

37.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$215 JEP 160

$120 €103

79.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,030 JEP 1,508

$1,628 €1,400

24.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,650 JEP 1,226

$1,255 €1,080

31.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,871 JEP 2,876

$3,030 €2,607

27.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,538 JEP 2,629

$2,020 €1,738

75.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.9K JEP 8,831

$7,800 €6,709

52.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.4K JEP 7,759

$4,273 €3,675

144.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,831 JEP 3,590

$1,603 €1,379

201.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

3.81

1.05%

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

Last update for Saint Helier: May 30, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,030 in Saint Helier and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint Helier pays 201% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $138 in Saint Helier vs $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $421 vs $269 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

Saint Helier vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saint Helier and Lisbon differ by about 50% in total monthly costs ($3,315 vs $2,210 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Saint Helier pays 201% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,030 in Saint Helier versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,217 in Saint Helier versus $614 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 56% higher in Saint Helier. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Lisbon is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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, Saint Helier and Lisbon 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 Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Saint Helier. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.