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: $3,984 in Santa Clara, CA versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,963 in Santa Clara, CA versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,942 in Santa Clara, CA versus $4,411 in Lisbon.

Living in Santa Clara, CA is roughly 80% more expensive than Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Santa Clara, CA 197% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.87 $24.87

$15.91 €13.69

56.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$109 $109

$64.8 €55.7

68.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.19 $14.19

$10.51 €9.04

35.01%

Cappuccino

$6.07 $6.07

$2.87 €2.47

111.50%

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

$3.25 $3.25

$2.24 €1.93

45.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.50 €1.29

64.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.19 $9.19

$3.49 €3.00

163.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.23 $9.23

$3.88 €3.34

137.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.14 €0.98

29.82%

White Bread (500g)

$5.04 $5.04

$1.75 €1.51

188.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$1.76 €1.51

78.98%

Eggs

$5.35 $5.35

$3.22 €2.77

66.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.87 $20.87

$13.49 €11.61

54.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.13 $15.13

$7.91 €6.81

91.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.11 $23.11

$15.87 €13.65

45.62%

Apples (1kg)

$6.26 $6.26

$2.31 €1.99

171.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.77 $2.77

$1.70 €1.46

62.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.00 $5.00

$2.01 €1.73

148.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.82 $6.82

$2.46 €2.12

177.24%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$1.84 €1.59

94.02%

Onion (1kg)

$3.97 $3.97

$2.00 €1.72

98.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.79 $2.79

$1.93 €1.66

44.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$0.79 €0.68

256.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.09 $11.09

$6.61 €5.68

67.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.93 $12.93

$5.72 €4.92

126.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 $2.37

$1.37 €1.17

72.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 $3.34

$2.97 €2.56

12.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.37 €2.04

22.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.7 $70.7

$45.56 €39.19

55.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.10 $4.10

$4.29 €3.69

-4.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 $1.91

$0.82 €0.70

132.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.50 $29.50

$18.30 €15.74

61.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$2.06 €1.78

-36.41%

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

$29.9K $29.9K

$34.3K €29.5K

-12.72%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$39.3K €33.8K

-32.59%

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

$221 $221

$148 €127

49.73%

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

$48.01 $48.01

$20.52 €17.65

133.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.3 $66.3

$39.61 €34.08

67.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$101 $101

$47.85 €41.16

111.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.62 $12.62

$18.92 €16.28

-33.30%

Cinema Ticket

$16.83 $16.83

$9.18 €7.90

83.33%

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

$1,966 $1,966

$614 €528

220.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.0K $26.0K

$16.0K €13.8K

62.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 $57.0

$105 €90.0

-45.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.59 $44.59

$42.06 €36.18

6.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.3 $88.3

$94.0 €80.8

-6.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 $137

$120 €103

14.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,964 $2,964

$1,628 €1,400

82.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,361 $2,361

$1,255 €1,080

88.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,296 $4,296

$3,030 €2,607

41.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,274 $4,274

$2,020 €1,738

111.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,962 $8,962

$7,800 €6,709

14.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,038 $9,038

$4,273 €3,675

111.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,953 $7,953

$1,603 €1,379

396.02%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,964 in Santa Clara, CA and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Clara, CA pays 396% 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: $109 in Santa Clara, CA vs $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $517 vs $269 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 80% in total monthly costs ($3,984 vs $2,210 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Santa Clara, CA pays 396% more on average, 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: $2,964 in Santa Clara, CA versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,966 in Santa Clara, CA versus $614 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 80% less than in Santa Clara, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.