Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Fe, NM and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,210 a month against $2,868 in Santa Fe, NM, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Santa Fe, NM, United States
Lisbon, Portugal
Santa Fe, NM
🇺🇸 United States
$2,868
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,868 in Santa Fe, NM versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

  • Santa Fe, NM $2,868
  • Lisbon $2,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,964 in Santa Fe, NM versus $3,275 in Lisbon.

  • Santa Fe, NM $3,964
  • Lisbon $3,275

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,059 in Santa Fe, NM versus $4,341 in Lisbon.

  • Santa Fe, NM $5,059
  • Lisbon $4,341

Living in Santa Fe, NM is roughly 30% more expensive than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Santa Fe, NM 111% above, Lisbon 62% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Santa Fe, NM
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.79 $16.79
$16.65 €14.91
0.84%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.2 $67.2
$61.7 €55.3
8.76%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.05 $10.05
$11.36 €10.17
-11.53%
Cappuccino
$5.13 $5.13
$2.97 €2.66
72.73%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 $2.84
$2.29 €2.05
24.02%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.34 $2.34
$1.74 €1.56
34.48%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.11 $6.11
$3.40 €3.05
79.71%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.14 $7.14
$3.31 €2.96
115.71%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Santa Fe, NM
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.94 $0.94
$1.16 €1.04
-18.97%
White Bread (500g)
$3.14 $3.14
$1.91 €1.71
64.40%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.58 $4.58
$1.51 €1.35
203.31%
Eggs
$4.15 $4.15
$4.02 €3.60
3.23%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.69 $11.69
$12.94 €11.59
-9.66%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.72 $9.72
$7.77 €6.96
25.10%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.05 $17.05
$17.76 €15.91
-4.00%
Apples (1kg)
$4.71 $4.71
$2.30 €2.06
104.78%
Banana (1kg)
$1.48 $1.48
$1.73 €1.55
-14.45%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.82 $3.82
$1.86 €1.66
105.38%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.29 $4.29
$2.59 €2.32
65.64%
Potato (1kg)
$3.25 $3.25
$1.82 €1.63
78.57%
Onion (1kg)
$2.05 $2.05
$1.97 €1.76
4.06%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.00 $2.00
$1.47 €1.32
36.05%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.43 $2.43
$0.72 €0.65
237.50%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.72 $10.72
$6.58 €5.90
62.92%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.16 $16.16
$5.61 €5.02
188.06%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.12 $2.12
$1.36 €1.22
55.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.71 $3.71
$2.14 €1.91
73.36%
🚌 Getting Around
Santa Fe, NM
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.02 $1.02
$2.33 €2.09
-56.22%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.97 $19.97
$44.68 €40.01
-55.30%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.66 $3.66
$3.85 €3.45
-4.94%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.96 $1.96
$1.07 €0.96
83.18%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.25 $32.25
$16.46 €14.74
95.93%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.02 $1.02
$2.20 €1.97
-53.64%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.5K $26.5K
$34.2K €30.6K
-22.47%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.6K $25.6K
$38.7K €34.7K
-33.81%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Santa Fe, NM
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$159 $159
$161 €144
-1.36%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$45.35 $45.35
$18.41 €16.49
146.33%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$73.4 $73.4
$32.74 €29.32
124.25%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Santa Fe, NM
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$69.7 $69.7
$44.55 €39.90
56.34%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$19.10 €17.10
-
Cinema Ticket
$13.16 $13.16
$9.60 €8.60
37.08%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Santa Fe, NM
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,344 $1,344
$668 €598
101.36%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.5K $15.5K
$17.6K €15.8K
-11.86%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Santa Fe, NM
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$55.3 $55.3
$102 €91.4
-45.76%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.87 $42.87
$44.46 €39.82
-3.58%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$78.6 $78.6
$98.5 €88.2
-20.20%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 $119
$124 €111
-3.76%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Santa Fe, NM
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,172 $2,172
$1,608 €1,440
35.03%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,652 $1,652
$1,190 €1,066
38.78%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,059 $3,059
$2,812 €2,519
8.76%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,387 $2,387
$2,013 €1,803
18.56%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,231 $6,231
$7,839 €7,021
-20.51%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,826 $3,826
$4,576 €4,098
-16.39%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Santa Fe, NM
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,927 $3,927
$1,575 €1,411
149.31%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.57
3.85
70.65%

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

Last update for Santa Fe, NM: October 24, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Santa Fe, NM
$1.7K
Lisbon
$1.2K 27.9% $461
Groceries & Markets
Santa Fe, NM
$381
Lisbon
$272 28.5% $109
Eating Out
Santa Fe, NM
$292
Lisbon
$243 16.8% $49
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Santa Fe, NM
$278
Lisbon
$212 23.6% $65
Clothing & Footwear
Santa Fe, NM
$133
Lisbon
$166 24.6% $33
Sport & Entertainment
Santa Fe, NM
$96
Lisbon
$64 33.6% $32
Getting Around
Santa Fe, NM
$38
Lisbon
$63 68.5% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,172 in Santa Fe, NM and $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Fe, NM pays about 2.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $67 in Santa Fe, NM vs $62 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $381 vs $272 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Santa Fe, NM
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
11:24 11:24 AM
18:24 6:24 PM
7 h ahead of Santa Fe, NM
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
87,505
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Santa Fe, NM Lisbon 8,130 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Santa Fe, NM
  • Lisbon

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

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 Fe, NM vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Santa Fe, NM and in Lisbon?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,868 in Santa Fe, NM and $2,210 in Lisbon, so Lisbon is about 23% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Santa Fe, NM or Lisbon?
Average pay in Santa Fe, NM is about 2.5 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Santa Fe, NM and in Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $2,172 in Santa Fe, NM versus $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Santa Fe, NM and Lisbon?
Childcare runs $1,344 in Santa Fe, NM versus $668 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Santa Fe, NM. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How does quality of life compare between Santa Fe, NM 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.
How do I decide between Santa Fe, NM and Lisbon?
It comes down to priorities – Lisbon wins on affordability, Santa Fe, NM on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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