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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,976 in Santa Clara, CA versus $2,291 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,040 in Santa Clara, CA versus $3,322 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,104 in Santa Clara, CA versus $4,354 in Lisbon.

Living in Santa Clara, CA is roughly 74% more expensive than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Santa Clara, CA 198% above, Lisbon 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.56 $24.56

$16.19 €14.15

51.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$108 $108

$63.3 €55.3

71.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.73 $13.73

$10.32 €9.02

33.04%

Cappuccino

$5.84 $5.84

$2.83 €2.47

106.36%

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

$3.35 $3.35

$2.29 €2.00

46.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 $2.57

$1.58 €1.38

62.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.78 $8.78

$3.40 €2.97

158.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.08 $9.08

$4.03 €3.52

125.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.09 €0.95

32.11%

White Bread (500g)

$4.99 $4.99

$1.75 €1.53

185.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 $3.21

$1.76 €1.54

82.39%

Eggs

$5.51 $5.51

$3.17 €2.77

73.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.88 $20.88

$13.19 €11.53

58.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.90 $14.90

$7.97 €6.96

86.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.45 $22.45

$15.53 €13.57

44.56%

Apples (1kg)

$6.26 $6.26

$2.37 €2.07

164.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.71 €1.49

63.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.76 $4.76

$2.01 €1.75

136.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.56 $6.56

$2.43 €2.12

169.96%

Potato (1kg)

$3.56 $3.56

$1.76 €1.54

102.27%

Onion (1kg)

$3.98 $3.98

$2.03 €1.78

96.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.94 $2.94

$1.92 €1.68

53.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.88 $2.88

$0.85 €0.74

238.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.47 $11.47

$6.58 €5.75

74.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.05 $13.05

$5.58 €4.87

133.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.33 €1.16

70.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.97 €2.60

10.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.28 €1.99

32.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.2 $71.2

$45.79 €40.01

55.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.07 $4.07

$4.23 €3.69

-3.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 $1.85

$0.81 €0.71

128.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.25 $30.25

$18.44 €16.11

64.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$2.08 €1.82

-37.02%

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

$29.9K $29.9K

$34.7K €30.3K

-13.71%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$39.2K €34.2K

-33.16%

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

$224 $224

$148 €129

51.10%

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

$48.40 $48.40

$20.46 €17.88

136.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.3 $68.3

$39.56 €34.56

72.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$99.6 $99.6

$47.99 €41.93

107.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.43 $12.43

$18.60 €16.25

-33.17%

Cinema Ticket

$17.12 $17.12

$9.22 €8.06

85.68%

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

$1,951 $1,951

$616 €538

216.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.7K $25.7K

$16.4K €14.4K

56.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.6 $56.6

$103 €89.7

-44.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.68 $43.68

$41.74 €36.47

4.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.2 $87.2

$94.8 €82.8

-7.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 $139

$122 €107

14.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,051 $3,051

$1,633 €1,426

86.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,396 $2,396

$1,232 €1,077

94.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,341 $4,341

$3,098 €2,707

40.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,201 $4,201

$2,031 €1,775

106.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,040 $9,040

$7,831 €6,842

15.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,846 $8,846

$4,389 €3,835

101.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,162 $8,162

$1,607 €1,404

407.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

3.81

70.87%

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

Last update for Santa Clara, CA: July 14, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,051 in Santa Clara, CA and $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Clara, CA pays 408% 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: $108 in Santa Clara, CA vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $513 vs $267 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 Clara, CA vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Clara, CA and Lisbon differ by about 74% in total monthly costs ($3,976 vs $2,291 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 408% higher in Santa Clara, 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: $3,051 in Santa Clara, CA versus $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,951 in Santa Clara, CA versus $616 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 92% higher in Santa Clara, 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 Clara, 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 74% less than in Santa Clara, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.