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: $1,581 in Santa Cruz versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,423 in Santa Cruz versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,265 in Santa Cruz versus $4,411 in Lisbon.

Living in Santa Cruz costs roughly 28% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Santa Cruz 18% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.85 ₡4,959

$15.91 €13.70

-31.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.4 ₡27.6K

$64.8 €55.8

-6.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.20 ₡4,658

$10.51 €9.05

-2.95%

Cappuccino

$3.82 ₡1,745

$2.87 €2.47

33.10%

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

$1.99 ₡907

$2.24 €1.93

-11.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 ₡718

$1.50 €1.29

4.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.94 ₡1,344

$3.49 €3.01

-15.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.81 ₡2,197

$3.88 €3.34

23.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.98 ₡904

$1.14 €0.98

73.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.76 ₡1,261

$1.75 €1.51

57.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ₡995

$1.76 €1.51

23.86%

Eggs

$2.88 ₡1,314

$3.22 €2.77

-10.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 ₡4,603

$13.49 €11.61

-25.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.00 ₡4,113

$7.91 €6.81

13.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.42 ₡6,131

$15.87 €13.67

-15.44%

Apples (1kg)

$4.59 ₡2,097

$2.31 €1.99

98.70%

Banana (1kg)

$0.96 ₡439

$1.70 €1.46

-43.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.17 ₡1,903

$2.01 €1.73

107.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.46 ₡1,581

$2.46 €2.12

40.65%

Potato (1kg)

$3.43 ₡1,569

$1.84 €1.59

86.41%

Onion (1kg)

$3.21 ₡1,468

$2.00 €1.72

60.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 ₡433

$1.93 €1.66

-50.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,326

$0.79 €0.68

267.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.13 ₡2,343

$6.61 €5.69

-22.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.09 ₡10.1K

$5.72 €4.93

286.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₡1,106

$1.37 €1.18

76.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,282

$2.97 €2.56

-5.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.95 ₡435

$2.37 €2.04

-59.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.22

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ₡825

$4.29 €3.69

-57.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 ₡826

$0.82 €0.70

120.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.07 ₡3,686

$18.30 €15.76

-55.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 ₡643

$2.06 €1.78

-31.55%

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

$37.8K ₡17.3M

$34.3K €29.5K

10.34%

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

$32.4K ₡14.8M

$39.3K €33.8K

-17.64%

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

$92.3 ₡42.2K

$148 €127

-37.59%

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

$25.88 ₡11.8K

$20.52 €17.67

26.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.8 ₡24.1K

$39.61 €34.10

33.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.2 ₡25.7K

$47.85 €41.19

17.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.47 ₡10.7K

$18.92 €16.29

24.05%

Cinema Ticket

$5.84 ₡2,668

$9.18 €7.91

-36.38%

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

$567 ₡258.9K

$614 €529

-7.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K ₡5.9M

$16.0K €13.8K

-19.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.5 ₡28.1K

$105 €90.1

-41.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.8 ₡23.7K

$42.06 €36.21

23.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 ₡57.2K

$94.0 €80.9

33.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 ₡49.2K

$120 €103

-10.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$755 ₡344.9K

$1,628 €1,401

-53.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₡268.9K

$1,255 €1,081

-53.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ₡690.2K

$3,030 €2,609

-50.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$947 ₡432.6K

$2,020 €1,739

-53.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,715

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,678

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,380

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.17

3.81

166.93%

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

Last update for Santa Cruz: May 31, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $755 in Santa Cruz and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $60.0 in Santa Cruz vs $65.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $363 vs $269, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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 40% in total monthly costs ($1,581 vs $2,210 including rent). Santa Cruz is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,372 in Santa Cruz and $3,315 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: $755 in Santa Cruz versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 35% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,581 per month in Santa Cruz versus $2,210 in Lisbon – a 40% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,581 in Santa Cruz versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,000 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 40% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.