Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Ana, CA and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Ana, CA and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,506 in Santa Ana, CA versus $2,316 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,139 in Santa Ana, CA versus $3,361 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,772 in Santa Ana, CA versus $4,405 in Lisbon.

Living in Santa Ana, CA is roughly 51% more expensive than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Santa Ana, CA 155% above, Lisbon 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.29 $25.29

$17.30 €14.93

46.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$63.3 €54.6

60.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.77 $14.77

$11.39 €9.83

29.68%

Cappuccino

$6.03 $6.03

$3.19 €2.75

89.03%

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

$2.78 $2.78

$2.45 €2.11

13.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 $2.93

$1.76 €1.52

66.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.78 $7.78

$3.59 €3.10

116.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.79 $8.79

$3.39 €2.93

159.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 $1.19

$1.24 €1.07

-4.03%

White Bread (500g)

$4.57 $4.57

$1.98 €1.71

130.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.60 $6.60

$1.52 €1.31

334.21%

Eggs

$5.30 $5.30

$4.04 €3.49

31.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.65 $12.65

$13.54 €11.68

-6.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.63 $16.63

$8.39 €7.24

98.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.86 $21.86

$18.25 €15.75

19.78%

Apples (1kg)

$6.21 $6.21

$2.29 €1.98

171.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.74 €1.50

-1.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.16 $4.16

$1.86 €1.60

123.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.47 $6.47

$2.63 €2.27

146.01%

Potato (1kg)

$3.55 $3.55

$1.92 €1.65

84.90%

Onion (1kg)

$3.66 $3.66

$2.09 €1.81

75.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.44 €1.24

69.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.84 €0.73

164.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.82 $11.82

$6.78 €5.85

74.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.78 $15.78

$5.71 €4.93

176.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.38 €1.19

58.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 $2.52

$2.22 €1.91

13.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.40 €2.07

-17.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.5 $69.5

$46.78 €40.37

48.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.86 $2.86

$4.17 €3.60

-31.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 $2.46

$1.14 €0.98

115.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$48.84 $48.84

$17.68 €15.26

176.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 $1.43

$2.32 €2.01

-38.36%

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

$37.3K $37.3K

$35.3K €30.5K

5.66%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$41.4K €35.8K

-38.11%

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

$218 $218

$170 €147

28.27%

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

$71.1 $71.1

$19.34 €16.69

267.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.8 $71.8

$33.64 €29.03

113.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 $57.1

$48.10 €41.50

18.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$45.31 $45.31

$19.90 €17.17

127.69%

Cinema Ticket

$14.17 $14.17

$9.92 €8.56

42.84%

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

$1,409 $1,409

$717 €619

96.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$37.0K $37.0K

$17.5K €15.1K

111.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.6 $72.6

$105 €90.4

-30.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.07 $42.07

$46.95 €40.51

-10.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.4 $81.4

$103 €89.2

-21.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$151 $151

$124 €107

21.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,641 $2,641

$1,677 €1,447

57.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,973 $1,973

$1,271 €1,097

55.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,221 $3,221

$2,985 €2,575

7.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,139 $3,139

$1,992 €1,719

57.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,540 $4,540

$7,826 €6,753

-41.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,238 $4,238

$4,658 €4,019

-9.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,165 $3,165

$1,583 €1,366

99.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.24

3.79

64.64%

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

Last update for Santa Ana, CA: August 29, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,641 in Santa Ana, CA and $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Ana, CA pays 100% 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: $101 in Santa Ana, CA vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $484 vs $283 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

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

Santa Ana, CA vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Ana, CA and Lisbon differ by about 51% in total monthly costs ($3,506 vs $2,316 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 100% higher in Santa Ana, CA, 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: $2,641 in Santa Ana, CA versus $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,409 in Santa Ana, CA versus $717 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 71% higher in Santa Ana, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Lisbon is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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, Santa Ana, CA 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 Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Santa Ana, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.