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: $582 in Santa Cruz versus $2,316 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,056 in Santa Cruz versus $3,361 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,531 in Santa Cruz versus $4,405 in Lisbon.

Living in Santa Cruz costs roughly 75% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Santa Cruz is 58% below, Lisbon is 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.12 BOB 25.88

$17.30 €14.93

-87.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.61 BOB 203

$63.3 €54.6

-73.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.65 BOB 56.8

$11.39 €9.83

-59.17%

Cappuccino

$1.82 BOB 22.16

$3.19 €2.75

-42.95%

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

$0.49 BOB 5.96

$2.45 €2.11

-80.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.43 BOB 5.28

$1.76 €1.52

-75.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.98 BOB 12.02

$3.59 €3.10

-72.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.24 BOB 15.10

$3.39 €2.93

-63.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.78 BOB 9.49

$1.24 €1.07

-37.10%

White Bread (500g)

$0.93 BOB 11.32

$1.98 €1.71

-53.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.06 BOB 12.93

$1.52 €1.31

-30.26%

Eggs

$1.06 BOB 12.94

$4.04 €3.49

-73.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.28 BOB 40.07

$13.54 €11.68

-75.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.71 BOB 33.03

$8.39 €7.24

-67.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.02 BOB 61.3

$18.25 €15.75

-72.49%

Apples (1kg)

$1.67 BOB 20.41

$2.29 €1.98

-27.07%

Banana (1kg)

$0.67 BOB 8.22

$1.74 €1.50

-61.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.81 BOB 9.84

$1.86 €1.60

-56.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.75 BOB 9.15

$2.63 €2.27

-71.48%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 BOB 8.38

$1.92 €1.65

-64.06%

Onion (1kg)

$0.60 BOB 7.38

$2.09 €1.81

-71.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.55 BOB 6.67

$1.44 €1.24

-61.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 BOB 7.87

$0.84 €0.73

-23.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.98 BOB 24.13

$6.78 €5.85

-70.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.27 BOB 52.1

$5.71 €4.93

-25.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 BOB 12.71

$1.38 €1.19

-24.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 BOB 19.48

$2.22 €1.91

-27.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 BOB 3.20

$2.40 €2.07

-89.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.36 BOB 273

$46.78 €40.37

-52.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.67 BOB 20.37

$4.17 €3.60

-59.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 BOB 11.79

$1.14 €0.98

-14.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.15 BOB 75.1

$17.68 €15.26

-65.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.55 BOB 6.74

$2.32 €2.01

-76.29%

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

$15.5K BOB 189.0K

$35.3K €30.5K

-56.16%

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

$19.4K BOB 236.3K

$41.4K €35.8K

-53.27%

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

$34.44 BOB 420

$170 €147

-79.78%

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

$19.90 BOB 243

$19.34 €16.69

2.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.08 BOB 233

$33.64 €29.03

-43.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.23 BOB 235

$48.10 €41.50

-60.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.69 BOB 155

$19.90 €17.17

-36.23%

Cinema Ticket

$5.95 BOB 72.6

$9.92 €8.56

-40.02%

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

$126 BOB 1,532

$717 €619

-82.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,948 BOB 36.0K

$17.5K €15.1K

-83.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.02 BOB 317

$105 €90.4

-75.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.88 BOB 389

$46.95 €40.51

-32.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.4 BOB 798

$103 €89.2

-36.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.8 BOB 693

$124 €107

-54.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$270 BOB 3,290

$1,677 €1,447

-83.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$185 BOB 2,261

$1,271 €1,097

-85.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 BOB 7,516

$2,985 €2,575

-79.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$681 BOB 8,311

$1,992 €1,719

-65.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,288 BOB 15.7K

$7,826 €6,753

-83.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$744 BOB 9,071

$4,658 €4,019

-84.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$291 BOB 3,555

$1,583 €1,366

-81.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.17

3.79

62.80%

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

Last update for Santa Cruz: September 1, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $270 in Santa Cruz and $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 443% 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: $17.00 in Santa Cruz vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $114 vs $283 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 298% in total monthly costs ($582 vs $2,316 including rent). Santa Cruz is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 443% lower in Lisbon. 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: $270 in Santa Cruz versus $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $126 in Santa Cruz versus $717 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 149% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $582 in Santa Cruz versus $2,316 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 298% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.