Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint John Island and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,202 a month against $6,147 in Saint John Island, rent and utilities included – about $47,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Saint John Island
🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands
$6,147
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,202
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Saint John Island 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 John Island and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $6,147 in Saint John Island versus $2,202 in Lisbon.

  • Saint John Island $6,147
  • Lisbon $2,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $8,398 in Saint John Island versus $3,274 in Lisbon.

  • Saint John Island $8,398
  • Lisbon $3,274

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $10.6K in Saint John Island versus $4,346 in Lisbon.

  • Saint John Island $10.6K
  • Lisbon $4,346

Living in Saint John Island is roughly 179% more expensive than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Saint John Island 354% above, Lisbon 62% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Saint John Island
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$70.5 $70.5
$17.04 €15.15
313.67%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$147 $147
$62.3 €55.4
136.28%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$14.70 $14.70
$11.02 €9.80
33.39%
Cappuccino
$9.12 $9.12
$3.12 €2.78
192.31%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.57 $3.57
$2.27 €2.02
57.27%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.44 $3.44
$1.74 €1.55
97.70%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.86 $4.86
$3.42 €3.04
42.11%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.81 $6.81
$3.74 €3.33
82.09%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Saint John Island
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$3.12 $3.12
$1.17 €1.04
166.67%
White Bread (500g)
$8.12 $8.12
$1.86 €1.66
336.56%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$12.15 $12.15
$1.54 €1.37
688.96%
Eggs
$11.83 $11.83
$4.06 €3.61
191.38%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$31.38 $31.38
$12.91 €11.49
143.07%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$32.45 $32.45
$7.90 €7.03
310.76%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$24.40 $24.40
$17.64 €15.69
38.32%
Apples (1kg)
$22.40 $22.40
$2.26 €2.01
891.15%
Banana (1kg)
$4.02 $4.02
$1.75 €1.55
129.71%
Oranges (1kg)
$17.72 $17.72
$1.89 €1.68
837.57%
Tomato (1kg)
$12.20 $12.20
$2.56 €2.27
376.56%
Potato (1kg)
$7.90 $7.90
$1.85 €1.64
327.03%
Onion (1kg)
$7.88 $7.88
$1.97 €1.75
300.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$5.13 $5.13
$1.45 €1.29
253.79%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$3.49 $3.49
$0.77 €0.69
353.25%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$8.88 $8.88
$6.71 €5.97
32.34%
Wine (Bottle)
$23.37 $23.37
$5.67 €5.04
312.17%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.42 $4.42
$1.37 €1.22
222.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.02 $6.02
$2.11 €1.88
185.31%
🚌 Getting Around
Saint John Island
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$7.10 $7.10
$2.32 €2.07
206.03%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$150 $150
$44.43 €39.52
237.56%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$30.19 $30.19
$3.95 €3.51
664.30%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$1.05 €0.93
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$49.78 $49.78
$17.15 €15.26
190.26%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.63 $1.63
$2.19 €1.95
-25.57%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$47.1K $47.1K
$33.8K €30.0K
39.41%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$52.8K $52.8K
$38.3K €34.0K
38.01%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Saint John Island
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$302 $302
$164 €146
84.66%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$99.7 $99.7
$18.48 €16.43
439.39%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$101 $101
$32.96 €29.32
206.28%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Saint John Island
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$45.87 €40.80
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$18.68 €16.61
-
Cinema Ticket
-
$9.75 €8.67
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Saint John Island
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
-
$684 €608
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$17.6K €15.7K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Saint John Island
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$81.6 $81.6
$104 €92.3
-21.37%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.95 $49.95
$46.20 €41.09
8.12%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$83.4 $83.4
$99.7 €88.7
-16.34%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$99.9 $99.9
$125 €111
-19.91%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Saint John Island
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,920 $3,920
$1,589 €1,414
146.67%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,521 $3,521
$1,169 €1,040
201.20%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,982 $4,982
$2,851 €2,536
74.78%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$4,584 $4,584
$1,993 €1,773
129.99%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$7,793 €6,932
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$4,418 €3,930
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Saint John Island
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,557 $4,557
$1,600 €1,423
184.82%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7
3.85
81.82%

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

Last update for Saint John Island: October 17, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Saint John Island
$3.5K
Lisbon
$1.2K 66.8% $2.4K
Groceries & Markets
Saint John Island
$989
Lisbon
$273 72.4% $716
Eating Out
Saint John Island
$784
Lisbon
$247 68.4% $536
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Saint John Island
$503
Lisbon
$215 57.2% $288
Getting Around
Saint John Island
$209 *
Lisbon
$63 69.8% $146
Clothing & Footwear
Saint John Island
$142
Lisbon
$168 18.9% $27
Sport & Entertainment
Saint John Island
- *
Lisbon
$65

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,920 in Saint John Island and $1,589 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint John Island pays 185% 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: $147 in Saint John Island vs $62.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $989 vs $273 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇻🇮 Saint John Island
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
06:50 6:50 AM
11:50 11:50 AM
5 h ahead of Saint John Island
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,170
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Saint John Island Lisbon 5,790 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Saint John Island
  • 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 John Island vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Saint John Island and in Lisbon?
Saint John Island and Lisbon differ by about 179% in total monthly costs ($6,147 vs $2,202 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Saint John Island or Lisbon?
Average pay runs 185% higher in Saint John Island, 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 John Island and in Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $3,920 in Saint John Island versus $1,589 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 262% higher in Saint John Island. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more expensive overall: Saint John Island or Lisbon?
All in, you'll spend $6,147 per month in Saint John Island versus $2,202 in Lisbon – a 179% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
At $2,202 in Lisbon versus $6,147 in Saint John Island, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Saint John Island. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Saint John Island 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.
Is Saint John Island or Lisbon safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Saint John Island 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.
Where should expats move: Saint John Island or Lisbon?
Expats usually find Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 179% less than in Saint John Island. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Saint John Island vs other spots: cost of living compared

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?