Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint Paul, MN and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,210 a month against $2,445 in Saint Paul, MN, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Saint Paul, MN
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Saint Paul, MN Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Saint Paul, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,445

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,445 in Saint Paul, MN versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Saint Paul, MN $2,445
Lisbon $2,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,672 in Saint Paul, MN versus $3,275 in Lisbon.

Saint Paul, MN $3,672
Lisbon $3,275

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,900 in Saint Paul, MN versus $4,341 in Lisbon.

Saint Paul, MN $4,900
Lisbon $4,341

Living in Saint Paul, MN is roughly 11% more expensive than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Saint Paul, MN 80% above, Lisbon 62% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.66 $15.66

$16.65 €14.92

-5.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.8 $67.8

$61.7 €55.3

9.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.07 $10.07

$11.36 €10.18

-11.36%

Cappuccino

$5.03 $5.03

$2.97 €2.66

69.36%

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

$3.09 $3.09

$2.29 €2.05

34.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 $2.59

$1.74 €1.56

48.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.04 $6.04

$3.40 €3.05

77.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.37 $7.37

$3.31 €2.97

122.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.16 €1.04

-15.52%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$1.91 €1.71

98.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.33 $3.33

$1.51 €1.36

120.53%

Eggs

$2.96 $2.96

$4.02 €3.60

-26.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.39 $9.39

$12.94 €11.59

-27.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 $9.66

$7.77 €6.97

24.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.17 $13.17

$17.76 €15.92

-25.84%

Apples (1kg)

$4.84 $4.84

$2.30 €2.06

110.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.73 €1.55

-35.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.88 $5.88

$1.86 €1.66

216.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.92 $4.92

$2.59 €2.32

89.96%

Potato (1kg)

$3.81 $3.81

$1.82 €1.63

109.34%

Onion (1kg)

$3.48 $3.48

$1.97 €1.76

76.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.47 €1.32

39.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$0.72 €0.65

143.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.68 $12.68

$6.58 €5.90

92.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.65 $14.65

$5.61 €5.02

161.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.36 €1.22

24.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 $3.41

$2.14 €1.91

59.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.33 €2.09

-15.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$104 $104

$44.68 €40.04

132.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.54 $2.54

$3.85 €3.45

-34.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.07 €0.96

42.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.02 $31.02

$16.46 €14.75

88.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$2.20 €1.97

-53.18%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$34.2K €30.6K

-20.76%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$38.7K €34.7K

-31.36%

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

$232 $232

$161 €144

44.08%

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

$50.6 $50.6

$18.41 €16.50

175.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.7 $64.7

$32.74 €29.34

97.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.74 $29.74

$44.55 €39.92

-33.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.50 $8.50

$19.10 €17.11

-55.50%

Cinema Ticket

$13.07 $13.07

$9.60 €8.60

36.15%

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

$1,481 $1,481

$668 €598

121.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.1K $28.1K

$17.6K €15.8K

59.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.01 $41.01

$102 €91.4

-59.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.23 $40.23

$44.46 €39.85

-9.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.1 $82.1

$98.5 €88.3

-16.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 $110

$124 €111

-10.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,444 $1,444

$1,608 €1,441

-10.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,153 $1,153

$1,190 €1,066

-3.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,660 $2,660

$2,812 €2,520

-5.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,132 $2,132

$2,013 €1,804

5.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,631 $2,631

$7,839 €7,025

-66.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,949 $1,949

$4,576 €4,100

-57.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,256 $4,256

$1,575 €1,411

170.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.31

3.85

63.90%

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

Last update for Saint Paul, MN: 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 Paul, MN

$1.2K 47.2%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8% 3.2% $37

Groceries & Markets

Saint Paul, MN

$360 14.7%

Lisbon

$272 12.3% 24.3% $88

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saint Paul, MN

$348 14.2%

Lisbon

$212 9.6% 38.9% $135

Eating Out

Saint Paul, MN

$283 11.6%

Lisbon

$243 11% 14.4% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Saint Paul, MN

$123 5%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 34.8% $43

Getting Around

Saint Paul, MN

$122 5%

Lisbon

$63 2.9% 48.1% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Saint Paul, MN

$56 2.3%

Lisbon

$64 2.9% 14.1% $7.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,444 in Saint Paul, MN and $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint Paul, MN pays about 2.7 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $68 in Saint Paul, MN vs $62 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $360 vs $272 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Saint Paul, MN

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

22:09 10:09 PM

03:09 3:09 AM

5 h ahead of Saint Paul, MN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

285,068

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Saint Paul, MN Lisbon 6,670 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Saint Paul, MN
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 Paul, MN vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,445 in Saint Paul, MN and $2,210 in Lisbon, so Lisbon is about 10% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Saint Paul, MN is about 2.7 times higher, 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: $1,444 in Saint Paul, MN versus $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,481 in Saint Paul, MN versus $668 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Saint Paul, MN. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Lisbon gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 Paul, MN and Lisbon are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Lisbon wins on affordability, Saint Paul, MN on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.