Cost of Living Comparison Between Saintes and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Saintes and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,745 in Saintes versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,566 in Saintes versus $3,289 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,386 in Saintes versus $4,369 in Lisbon.

Living in Saintes costs roughly 21% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Saintes 31% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.57 €15.44

$15.71 €13.81

11.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.81 €25.33

$62.9 €55.3

-54.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.51 €8.36

$10.53 €9.26

-9.69%

Cappuccino

$3.38 €2.97

$2.88 €2.54

17.36%

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

$2.42 €2.13

$2.25 €1.98

7.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 €1.31

$1.56 €1.37

-4.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.65 €4.08

$3.39 €2.98

37.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.08 €4.47

$3.90 €3.43

30.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 €0.98

$1.08 €0.95

2.78%

White Bread (500g)

$4.15 €3.65

$1.73 €1.52

139.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.67 €3.23

$1.76 €1.55

108.52%

Eggs

$2.25 €1.98

$3.16 €2.78

-28.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.18 €20.38

$13.29 €11.68

74.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.62 €11.97

$7.87 €6.92

73.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.30 €18.72

$15.84 €13.92

34.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.78

$2.40 €2.11

32.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 €1.82

$1.70 €1.50

21.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 €1.82

$2.03 €1.78

1.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.05 €2.68

$2.52 €2.21

21.03%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 €0.73

$1.86 €1.63

-55.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.59

$2.06 €1.81

-12.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.63 €1.44

$2.00 €1.76

-18.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.49

$0.78 €0.69

-29.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.91 €11.35

$6.65 €5.84

94.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.47 €7.45

$5.78 €5.08

46.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 €2.37

$1.38 €1.22

94.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 €2.83

$3.02 €2.65

6.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.99 €1.75

$2.33 €2.05

-14.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.00 €42.19

$45.45 €39.96

5.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.90 €5.19

$4.08 €3.58

44.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.62 €2.30

$0.80 €0.70

227.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.46 €32.93

$18.65 €16.39

100.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.83

$2.00 €1.76

4.50%

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

$37.3K €32.8K

$35.4K €31.1K

5.46%

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

$38.8K €34.1K

$39.1K €34.3K

-0.69%

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

$188 €166

$150 €132

25.41%

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

$11.69 €10.27

$20.55 €18.07

-43.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.52 €24.19

$39.45 €34.68

-30.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.67 €33.12

$48.06 €42.25

-21.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.49 €16.25

$18.70 €16.44

-1.12%

Cinema Ticket

$10.61 €9.33

$9.30 €8.18

14.09%

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

$785 €690

$628 €552

24.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,502 €7,474

$16.5K €14.5K

-48.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.70 €40.17

$102 €89.3

-54.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.47 €32.06

$41.55 €36.52

-12.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.4 €60.1

$92.5 €81.3

-26.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €102

$123 €108

-5.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$768 €675

$1,628 €1,431

-52.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 €538

$1,233 €1,084

-50.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 €1,239

$3,126 €2,748

-54.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,080 €949

$2,058 €1,809

-47.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,036 €3,548

$7,762 €6,824

-48.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,485 €3,064

$4,386 €3,856

-20.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,621 €1,425

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.62

3.81

-4.99%

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

Last update for Saintes: July 19, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $768 in Saintes and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $29.00 in Saintes vs $63.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $386 vs $269, 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

Saintes vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saintes and Lisbon differ by about 27% in total monthly costs ($1,745 vs $2,210 including rent). Saintes is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,617 in Saintes and $3,315 in Lisbon to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $768 in Saintes versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $785 in Saintes versus $628 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 43% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,745 in Saintes versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Saintes but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Saintes 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, Saintes 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 Saintes gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.