Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Clara and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Clara: $955 a month against $2,202 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $15,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Santa Clara
🇨🇺 Cuba
$955
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,202
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $955 in Santa Clara versus $2,202 in Lisbon.

  • Santa Clara $955
  • Lisbon $2,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,433 in Santa Clara versus $3,274 in Lisbon.

  • Santa Clara $1,433
  • Lisbon $3,274

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,911 in Santa Clara versus $4,346 in Lisbon.

  • Santa Clara $1,911
  • Lisbon $4,346

Living in Santa Clara costs roughly 57% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Santa Clara is 30% below, Lisbon is 62% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Santa Clara
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.65 CUP 87.5
$17.04 €15.15
-78.58%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$27.82 CUP 668
$62.3 €55.4
-55.34%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.92 CUP 118
$11.02 €9.80
-55.35%
Cappuccino
$1.05 CUP 25.23
$3.12 €2.78
-66.35%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.57 CUP 37.75
$2.27 €2.02
-30.84%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.98 CUP 23.42
$1.74 €1.55
-43.68%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.23 CUP 29.53
$3.42 €3.04
-64.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.01 CUP 48.33
$3.74 €3.33
-46.26%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Santa Clara
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.70 CUP 64.9
$1.17 €1.04
130.77%
White Bread (500g)
$1.17 CUP 28.02
$1.86 €1.66
-37.10%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.71 CUP 40.93
$1.54 €1.37
11.04%
Eggs
$3.54 CUP 84.9
$4.06 €3.61
-12.81%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$4.48 CUP 108
$12.91 €11.49
-65.30%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.60 CUP 110
$7.90 €7.03
-41.77%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.60 CUP 206
$17.64 €15.69
-51.25%
Apples (1kg)
$5.96 CUP 143
$2.26 €2.01
163.72%
Banana (1kg)
$1.07 CUP 25.66
$1.75 €1.55
-38.86%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.96 CUP 94.9
$1.89 €1.68
109.52%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.36 CUP 56.7
$2.56 €2.27
-7.81%
Potato (1kg)
$2.79 CUP 67.1
$1.85 €1.64
50.81%
Onion (1kg)
$2.71 CUP 65.1
$1.97 €1.75
37.56%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.67 CUP 15.97
$1.45 €1.29
-53.79%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.54 CUP 12.92
$0.77 €0.69
-29.87%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.67 CUP 40.09
$6.71 €5.97
-75.11%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.30 CUP 127
$5.67 €5.04
-6.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.71 CUP 40.96
$1.37 €1.22
24.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.13 CUP 51.1
$2.11 €1.88
0.95%
🚌 Getting Around
Santa Clara
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$2.32 €2.07
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$44.43 €39.52
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.64 CUP 63.5
$3.95 €3.51
-33.16%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.36 CUP 8.69
$1.05 €0.93
-65.71%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$19.80 CUP 475
$17.15 €15.26
15.45%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.26 CUP 30.30
$2.19 €1.95
-42.47%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$60.5K CUP 1.5M
$33.8K €30.0K
79.12%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$60.0K CUP 1.4M
$38.3K €34.0K
56.93%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Santa Clara
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$48.17 CUP 1,156
$164 €146
-70.59%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$38.81 CUP 931
$18.48 €16.43
110.01%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$90.9 CUP 2,181
$32.96 €29.32
175.70%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Santa Clara
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$45.87 €40.80
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$18.68 €16.61
-
Cinema Ticket
$0.82 CUP 19.75
$9.75 €8.67
-91.59%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Santa Clara
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$154 CUP 3,693
$684 €608
-77.51%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.3K CUP 295.8K
$17.6K €15.7K
-30.09%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Santa Clara
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.4 CUP 1,258
$104 €92.3
-49.47%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.64 CUP 999
$46.20 €41.09
-9.87%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$81.4 CUP 1,954
$99.7 €88.7
-18.35%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$66.3 CUP 1,590
$125 €111
-46.87%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Santa Clara
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$349 CUP 8,374
$1,589 €1,414
-78.05%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$353 CUP 8,473
$1,169 €1,040
-69.80%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$739 CUP 17.7K
$2,851 €2,536
-74.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$598 CUP 14.3K
$1,993 €1,773
-70.01%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$275 CUP 6,596
$7,793 €6,932
-96.47%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$295 CUP 7,082
$4,418 €3,930
-93.32%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Santa Clara
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,600 €1,423
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
9.1
3.85
136.36%

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

Last update for Santa Clara: October 19, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Santa Clara
$353
Lisbon
$1.2K 231% $816
Groceries & Markets
Santa Clara
$232
Lisbon
$273 17.6% $41
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Santa Clara
$178
Lisbon
$215 21% $37
Clothing & Footwear
Santa Clara
$109
Lisbon
$168 54.8% $60
Eating Out
Santa Clara
$77
Lisbon
$247 222% $171
Getting Around
Santa Clara
$4.5 *
Lisbon
$63 1311% $58
Sport & Entertainment
Santa Clara
$1.7 *
Lisbon
$65 3862% $64

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $349 in Santa Clara and $1,589 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $28.00 in Santa Clara vs $62.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $232 vs $273 per month, with Santa Clara cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇺 Santa Clara
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
07:33 7:33 AM
12:33 12:33 PM
5 h ahead of Santa Clara
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
216,056
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to CUP – Cuban Peso Converter

Cuban Peso exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 24 CUP (100 CUP = 4.17 USD). 1 EUR = 26.98 CUP (100 CUP = 3.71 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Santa Clara Lisbon 6,850 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Santa Clara
  • Lisbon

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Santa Clara vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Santa Clara and in Lisbon?
Santa Clara and Lisbon differ by about 131% in total monthly costs ($955 vs $2,202 including rent). Santa Clara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Santa Clara compared to Lisbon?
You'd need roughly $1,432 in Santa Clara and $3,302 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 Santa Clara and in Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $349 in Santa Clara versus $1,589 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more expensive overall: Santa Clara or Lisbon?
All in, you'll spend $955 per month in Santa Clara versus $2,202 in Lisbon – a 131% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $1,000 per month?
At $955 in Santa Clara versus $2,202 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Santa Clara but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Santa Clara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Santa Clara 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 Santa Clara or Lisbon safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Santa Clara 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.
Where should expats move: Santa Clara or Lisbon?
Expats usually find Santa Clara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 131% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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