Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saintes and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Saintes: $1,872 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Saintes, France
Lisbon, Portugal
Saintes
🇫🇷 France
$1,872
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,872 in Saintes versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

  • Saintes $1,872
  • Lisbon $2,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,858 in Saintes versus $3,275 in Lisbon.

  • Saintes $2,858
  • Lisbon $3,275

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,843 in Saintes versus $4,341 in Lisbon.

  • Saintes $3,843
  • Lisbon $4,341

Living in Saintes costs roughly 15% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Saintes 38% above, Lisbon 62% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Saintes
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.58 €20.29
$16.65 €14.96
35.62%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$68.3 €61.4
$61.7 €55.5
10.69%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.52 €5.86
$11.36 €10.20
-42.61%
Cappuccino
$3.69 €3.31
$2.97 €2.67
24.24%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.71 €2.44
$2.29 €2.06
18.34%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.35 €1.21
$1.74 €1.56
-22.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.35 €6.60
$3.40 €3.06
116.18%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.62 €4.15
$3.31 €2.97
39.58%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Saintes
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.04 €0.93
$1.16 €1.04
-10.34%
White Bread (500g)
$1.85 €1.66
$1.91 €1.72
-3.14%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.88 €1.69
$1.51 €1.36
24.50%
Eggs
$2.26 €2.03
$4.02 €3.61
-43.78%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$23.82 €21.41
$12.94 €11.62
84.08%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.79 €10.59
$7.77 €6.99
51.74%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.67 €15.88
$17.76 €15.96
-0.51%
Apples (1kg)
$4.20 €3.77
$2.30 €2.07
82.61%
Banana (1kg)
$3.71 €3.33
$1.73 €1.56
114.45%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.94 €1.74
$1.86 €1.67
4.30%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.14 €4.62
$2.59 €2.33
98.46%
Potato (1kg)
$0.76 €0.68
$1.82 €1.64
-58.24%
Onion (1kg)
$1.20 €1.07
$1.97 €1.77
-39.09%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.71 €1.53
$1.47 €1.32
16.33%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.34 €0.31
$0.72 €0.65
-52.78%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.46 €12.99
$6.58 €5.92
119.76%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.93 €11.62
$5.61 €5.04
130.48%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.39 €2.15
$1.36 €1.22
75.74%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.36 €2.12
$2.14 €1.92
10.28%
🚌 Getting Around
Saintes
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.86 €1.67
$2.33 €2.10
-20.17%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.18 €39.69
$44.68 €40.14
-1.12%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.37 €3.93
$3.85 €3.46
13.51%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.31 €2.08
$1.07 €0.96
115.89%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.94 €30.49
$16.46 €14.79
106.20%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.94 €1.74
$2.20 €1.98
-11.82%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.5K €32.8K
$34.2K €30.7K
6.70%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.1K €34.2K
$38.7K €34.8K
-1.74%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Saintes
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$134 €120
$161 €145
-16.86%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.13 €10.00
$18.41 €16.54
-39.54%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.75 €30.33
$32.74 €29.41
3.08%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Saintes
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$35.92 €32.27
$44.55 €40.03
-19.37%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$19.10 €17.16
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.91 €8.91
$9.60 €8.62
3.23%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Saintes
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$849 €762
$668 €600
27.10%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.9K €9,791
$17.6K €15.8K
-38.14%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Saintes
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$109 €97.9
$102 €91.7
6.78%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.98 €35.02
$44.46 €39.95
-12.33%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 €97.0
$98.5 €88.5
9.61%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$150 €134
$124 €111
21.01%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Saintes
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$691 €621
$1,608 €1,445
-57.05%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$717 €644
$1,190 €1,069
-39.75%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,441 €1,295
$2,812 €2,527
-48.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,179 €1,060
$2,013 €1,809
-41.41%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,571 €3,209
$7,839 €7,043
-54.44%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,323 €2,986
$4,576 €4,111
-27.38%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Saintes
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,575 €1,415
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.79
3.85
-1.56%

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

Last update for Saintes: October 27, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Saintes
$717
Lisbon
$1.2K 66% $473
Groceries & Markets
Saintes
$364
Lisbon
$272 25.1% $91
Eating Out
Saintes
$307
Lisbon
$243 20.9% $64
Clothing & Footwear
Saintes
$183
Lisbon
$166 9.1% $17
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Saintes
$179
Lisbon
$212 18.7% $33
Getting Around
Saintes
$68
Lisbon
$63 6.5% $4.4
Sport & Entertainment
Saintes
$56
Lisbon
$64 14.4% $8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $691 in Saintes and $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68 in Saintes vs $62 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $364 vs $272 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇫🇷 Saintes
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
12:03 12:03 PM
11:03 11:03 AM
1 h behind Saintes
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
25,518
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Saintes Lisbon 1,050 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Saintes
  • 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
Saintes vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Saintes and in Lisbon?
Saintes and Lisbon differ by about 18% in total monthly costs ($1,872 vs $2,210 including rent). Saintes is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Saintes compared to Lisbon?
You’d need roughly $2,808 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Saintes and in Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $691 in Saintes 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 25% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city is more expensive overall: Saintes or Lisbon?
All in, you’ll spend $1,872 per month in Saintes versus $2,210 in Lisbon – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How does quality of life compare between Saintes 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 Saintes or Lisbon safer for residents?
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.

Saintes vs other spots: cost of living compared

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