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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $350 in Santa Clara versus $2,316 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $470 in Santa Clara versus $3,361 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $589 in Santa Clara versus $4,405 in Lisbon.

Living in Santa Clara costs roughly 85% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Santa Clara is 75% below, Lisbon is 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.87

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.80

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.74

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

$2.45 €2.10

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

Eggs

$4.04 €3.47

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.64

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.21

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.69

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.22

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.20

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

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

$35.3K €30.4K

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

$41.4K €35.6K

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

$170 €146

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

$19.34 €16.63

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.92

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.35

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.11

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.53

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

$717 €617

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.37

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €88.9

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$355 CUP 8,526

$1,677 €1,441

-78.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$344 CUP 8,250

$1,271 €1,093

-72.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$744 CUP 17.9K

$2,985 €2,566

-75.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$603 CUP 14.5K

$1,992 €1,713

-69.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$285 CUP 6,844

$7,826 €6,729

-96.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$294 CUP 7,061

$4,658 €4,005

-93.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,361

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.62

3.79

153.83%

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

Last update for Santa Clara: August 31, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $355 in Santa Clara and $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

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

Santa Clara and Lisbon differ by about 561% in total monthly costs ($350 vs $2,316 including rent). Santa Clara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $526 in Santa Clara and $3,474 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $355 in Santa Clara versus $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

At $350 in Santa Clara versus $2,316 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.

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 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 Santa Clara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 561% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.