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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $818 in Santa Cruz versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,366 in Santa Cruz versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,914 in Santa Cruz versus $4,411 in Lisbon.

Living in Santa Cruz costs roughly 63% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Santa Cruz is 39% below, Lisbon is 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.93 BOB 20.11

$15.91 €13.69

-81.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.95 BOB 185

$64.8 €55.7

-58.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.08 BOB 48.54

$10.51 €9.04

-32.64%

Cappuccino

$2.72 BOB 18.63

$2.87 €2.47

-5.23%

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

$0.82 BOB 5.65

$2.24 €1.93

-63.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 BOB 4.54

$1.50 €1.29

-56.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.43 BOB 9.82

$3.49 €3.00

-59.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 BOB 13.29

$3.88 €3.34

-50.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 BOB 7.42

$1.14 €0.98

-5.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.34 BOB 9.23

$1.75 €1.51

-23.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 BOB 9.18

$1.76 €1.51

-23.86%

Eggs

$1.84 BOB 12.66

$3.22 €2.77

-42.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.58 BOB 31.40

$13.49 €11.61

-66.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.14 BOB 28.40

$7.91 €6.81

-47.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.28 BOB 43.05

$15.87 €13.65

-60.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 BOB 18.89

$2.31 €1.99

19.05%

Banana (1kg)

$0.92 BOB 6.31

$1.70 €1.46

-45.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.13 BOB 7.73

$2.01 €1.73

-43.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.04 BOB 7.10

$2.46 €2.12

-57.72%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 BOB 6.31

$1.84 €1.59

-50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 BOB 6.43

$2.00 €1.72

-53.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.80 BOB 5.50

$1.93 €1.66

-58.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 BOB 7.64

$0.79 €0.68

40.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.13 BOB 14.61

$6.61 €5.68

-67.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.44 BOB 51.1

$5.72 €4.92

30.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 BOB 10.07

$1.37 €1.17

7.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 BOB 14.06

$2.97 €2.56

-30.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 BOB 2.05

$2.37 €2.04

-87.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.23 BOB 146

$45.56 €39.19

-53.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.88 BOB 19.73

$4.29 €3.69

-32.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 BOB 10.07

$0.82 €0.70

79.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.29 BOB 50.0

$18.30 €15.74

-60.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.55 BOB 3.77

$2.06 €1.78

-73.30%

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

$29.5K BOB 202.4K

$34.3K €29.5K

-13.93%

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

$27.1K BOB 185.9K

$39.3K €33.8K

-31.04%

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

$54.1 BOB 371

$148 €127

-63.39%

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

$22.94 BOB 157

$20.52 €17.65

11.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.45 BOB 229

$39.61 €34.08

-15.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.55 BOB 216

$47.85 €41.16

-34.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.52 BOB 148

$18.92 €16.28

13.74%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 BOB 48.28

$9.18 €7.90

-23.31%

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

$201 BOB 1,377

$614 €528

-67.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,258 BOB 29.2K

$16.0K €13.8K

-73.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.30 BOB 290

$105 €90.0

-59.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.34 BOB 332

$42.06 €36.18

14.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.6 BOB 580

$94.0 €80.8

-9.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.0 BOB 411

$120 €103

-49.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$401 BOB 2,753

$1,628 €1,400

-75.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$261 BOB 1,793

$1,255 €1,080

-79.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$754 BOB 5,170

$3,030 €2,607

-75.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$641 BOB 4,394

$2,020 €1,738

-68.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,511 BOB 10.4K

$7,800 €6,709

-80.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$844 BOB 5,788

$4,273 €3,675

-80.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$526 BOB 3,608

$1,603 €1,379

-67.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

3.81

75.07%

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

Last update for Santa Cruz: June 1, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $401 in Santa Cruz and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 205% 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: $27.00 in Santa Cruz vs $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $167 vs $269 per month, with Santa Cruz 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 Cruz vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Cruz and Lisbon differ by about 170% in total monthly costs ($818 vs $2,210 including rent). Santa Cruz is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Lisbon earns 205% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $401 in Santa Cruz versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Santa Cruz 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 62% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $818 in Santa Cruz versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Santa Cruz but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Santa Cruz 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 Cruz 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 Cruz gentler on the wallet – expenses run 170% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.