Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint John, New Brunswick and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint John, New Brunswick and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,091 in Saint John, New Brunswick versus $2,258 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,020 in Saint John, New Brunswick versus $3,328 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,949 in Saint John, New Brunswick versus $4,397 in Lisbon.

Living in Saint John, New Brunswick costs roughly 7% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Saint John, New Brunswick 55% above, Lisbon 68% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.77 CA$29.82

$15.82 €13.46

37.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.0 CA$83.6

$64.4 €54.8

-5.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 CA$14.31

$10.37 €8.82

0.77%

Cappuccino

$3.03 CA$4.15

$2.89 €2.46

4.84%

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

$1.70 CA$2.33

$2.23 €1.90

-23.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.22 CA$1.67

$1.55 €1.32

-21.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.39 CA$6.01

$3.38 €2.88

29.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.09 CA$6.97

$3.90 €3.32

30.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.97 CA$2.69

$1.12 €0.96

75.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.91 CA$3.99

$1.80 €1.53

61.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.45

$1.75 €1.49

2.29%

Eggs

$3.55 CA$4.87

$3.17 €2.70

11.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.56 CA$15.84

$13.50 €11.49

-14.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.61 CA$11.79

$7.79 €6.63

10.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.26 CA$22.28

$15.65 €13.32

3.90%

Apples (1kg)

$4.03 CA$5.52

$2.28 €1.94

76.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 CA$2.06

$1.71 €1.46

-12.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.63 CA$4.98

$1.93 €1.65

88.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.43 CA$6.06

$2.52 €2.15

75.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 CA$2.88

$1.79 €1.52

17.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 CA$3.01

$2.05 €1.74

7.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.75 CA$3.77

$1.94 €1.65

41.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 CA$2.06

$0.81 €0.69

86.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.35 CA$25.14

$6.65 €5.66

175.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.28 CA$14.08

$5.79 €4.92

77.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.31 CA$4.54

$1.33 €1.14

148.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 CA$4.62

$2.91 €2.47

15.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.24 CA$3.07

$2.35 €2.00

-4.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.5 CA$82.8

$45.70 €38.89

32.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 CA$4.90

$4.20 €3.58

-15.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.12 CA$1.53

$0.81 €0.69

38.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.47 CA$40.37

$18.70 €15.91

57.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 CA$1.61

$2.09 €1.78

-44.02%

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

$25.1K CA$34.3K

$34.6K €29.5K

-27.62%

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

$19.9K CA$27.3K

$39.7K €33.7K

-49.75%

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

$127 CA$175

$146 €124

-12.62%

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

$38.36 CA$52.6

$20.84 €17.73

84.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.4 CA$86.9

$39.78 €33.85

59.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.93 CA$58.8

$48.58 €41.35

-11.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.01 CA$50.7

$18.85 €16.04

96.34%

Cinema Ticket

$11.06 CA$15.16

$9.07 €7.72

21.94%

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

$168 CA$231

$618 €526

-72.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K CA$15.9K

$16.2K €13.8K

-28.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.92 CA$56.1

$105 €89.0

-60.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.57 CA$58.3

$40.54 €34.50

5.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.0 CA$116

$93.8 €79.8

-9.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 CA$168

$123 €104

0.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,038 CA$1,422

$1,604 €1,365

-35.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$973 CA$1,333

$1,260 €1,073

-22.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,590 CA$2,178

$3,065 €2,608

-48.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,445 CA$1,979

$2,008 €1,709

-28.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,133 CA$2,922

$7,702 €6,555

-72.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,202 CA$3,016

$4,367 €3,716

-49.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,684 CA$3,677

$1,638 €1,394

63.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.18

3.81

62.20%

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

Last update for Saint John, New Brunswick: April 12, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,038 in Saint John, New Brunswick and $1,604 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint John, New Brunswick pays 64% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $61 in Saint John, New Brunswick vs $64 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $346 vs $268, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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, New Brunswick vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saint John, New Brunswick and Lisbon differ by about 8% in total monthly costs ($2,091 vs $2,258 including rent). Saint John, New Brunswick is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Saint John, New Brunswick pays 64% 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: $1,038 in Saint John, New Brunswick versus $1,604 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $168 in Saint John, New Brunswick versus $618 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 29% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,091 in Saint John, New Brunswick versus $2,258 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Saint John, New Brunswick but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Saint John, New Brunswick 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, Saint John, New Brunswick 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 Saint John, New Brunswick gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.