Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint John's and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Saint John’s: $1,802 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Saint John's, Antigua and Barbuda
Lisbon, Portugal
Saint John's
🇦🇬 Antigua and Barbuda
$1,802
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,802 in Saint John’s versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

  • Saint John's $1,802
  • Lisbon $2,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,835 in Saint John’s versus $3,275 in Lisbon.

  • Saint John's $2,835
  • Lisbon $3,275

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,867 in Saint John’s versus $4,341 in Lisbon.

  • Saint John's $3,867
  • Lisbon $4,341

Living in Saint John’s costs roughly 18% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Saint John’s 32% above, Lisbon 62% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Saint John's
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.92 EC$45.68
$16.65 €14.87
1.62%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$56.5 EC$152
$61.7 €55.2
-8.52%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.19 EC$24.81
$11.36 €10.14
-19.10%
Cappuccino
$3.62 EC$9.77
$2.97 €2.65
21.89%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.01 EC$5.42
$2.29 €2.04
-12.23%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.18 EC$3.19
$1.74 €1.56
-32.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.38 EC$6.44
$3.40 €3.04
-30.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.46 EC$12.05
$3.31 €2.96
34.74%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Saint John's
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.17 EC$5.86
$1.16 €1.03
87.07%
White Bread (500g)
$2.73 EC$7.37
$1.91 €1.71
42.93%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.82 EC$4.90
$1.51 €1.35
20.53%
Eggs
$6.73 EC$18.16
$4.02 €3.59
67.41%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.74 EC$23.61
$12.94 €11.56
-32.46%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.62 EC$20.59
$7.77 €6.94
-1.93%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.01 EC$32.43
$17.76 €15.86
-32.38%
Apples (1kg)
$6.64 EC$17.92
$2.30 €2.06
188.70%
Banana (1kg)
$2.51 EC$6.79
$1.73 €1.55
45.09%
Oranges (1kg)
$8.33 EC$22.49
$1.86 €1.66
347.85%
Tomato (1kg)
$8.01 EC$21.63
$2.59 €2.31
209.27%
Potato (1kg)
$2.81 EC$7.58
$1.82 €1.63
54.40%
Onion (1kg)
$2.90 EC$7.82
$1.97 €1.76
47.21%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.54 EC$6.86
$1.47 €1.31
72.79%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.53 EC$4.12
$0.72 €0.65
112.50%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
-
$6.58 €5.88
-
Wine (Bottle)
$5.39 EC$14.55
$5.61 €5.01
-3.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.93 EC$5.20
$1.36 €1.22
41.91%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.34 EC$9.03
$2.14 €1.91
56.07%
🚌 Getting Around
Saint John's
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$2.33 €2.08
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$44.68 €39.91
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
-
$3.85 €3.44
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$1.07 €0.96
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$16.46 €14.70
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.57 EC$4.25
$2.20 €1.97
-28.64%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
-
$34.2K €30.5K
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
-
$38.7K €34.6K
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Saint John's
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$257 EC$693
$161 €144
59.31%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$40.33 EC$109
$18.41 €16.44
119.07%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$80.2 EC$216
$32.74 €29.24
144.90%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Saint John's
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$63.6 EC$172
$44.55 €39.79
42.65%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$19.10 €17.06
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.34 EC$17.11
$9.60 €8.57
-33.96%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Saint John's
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$187 EC$506
$668 €596
-71.93%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$1,860 EC$5,023
$17.6K €15.7K
-89.44%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Saint John's
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.10 EC$133
$102 €91.1
-51.87%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
-
$44.46 €39.72
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.8 EC$202
$98.5 €88.0
-24.08%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
-
$124 €110
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Saint John's
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,052 EC$2,839
$1,608 €1,437
-34.61%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$678 EC$1,830
$1,190 €1,063
-43.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,648 EC$4,448
$2,812 €2,512
-41.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,503 EC$4,057
$2,013 €1,798
-25.37%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$7,839 €7,002
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$4,576 €4,087
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Saint John's
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,383 EC$3,734
$1,575 €1,407
-12.20%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.5
3.85
42.86%

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

Last update for Saint John's: October 24, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,052 in Saint John’s and $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 14% 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: $56 in Saint John’s vs $62 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $375 vs $272, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇦🇬 Saint John's
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
06:24 6:24 AM
10:24 10:24 AM
4 h ahead of Saint John's
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
21,926 Capital
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to XCD – East Caribbean Dollar Converter

East Caribbean Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 2.7 XCD (1 XCD = 0.37 USD). 1 EUR = 3.02 XCD (1 XCD = 0.331 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 0.893 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Saint John's Lisbon 5,620 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Saint John's
  • 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's vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Saint John’s and in Lisbon?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,802 in Saint John’s and $2,210 in Lisbon, so Saint John’s is about 18% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 12% lower in Saint John’s. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Saint John’s and in Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,052 in Saint John’s 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 27% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city is more expensive overall: Saint John’s or Lisbon?
All in, you’ll spend $1,802 per month in Saint John’s versus $2,210 in Lisbon – Saint John’s is about 18% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
How far does $2,500 go in Saint John’s compared to Lisbon?
Either city works on $2,500 a month, though Saint John’s 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 John’s 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’s or Lisbon safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Saint John’s and Lisbon are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
How do I decide between Saint John’s and Lisbon?
It comes down to priorities – Saint John’s wins on affordability, Lisbon on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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