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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,276 in Santa Lucia versus $2,263 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,795 in Santa Lucia versus $3,315 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,315 in Santa Lucia versus $4,368 in Lisbon.

Living in Santa Lucia costs roughly 44% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Santa Lucia is 5% below, Lisbon is 68% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.82 CUP 236

$15.94 €13.73

-38.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.44 CUP 730

$63.4 €54.6

-51.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.79 CUP 163

$10.38 €8.95

-34.59%

Cappuccino

$3.33 CUP 79.9

$2.79 €2.40

19.35%

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

$1.12 CUP 26.83

$2.34 €2.01

-52.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 CUP 20.99

$1.57 €1.35

-44.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.94 CUP 46.65

$3.43 €2.95

-43.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 CUP 72.6

$3.91 €3.37

-22.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 CUP 45.95

$1.08 €0.93

76.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.87 CUP 44.99

$1.77 €1.52

5.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 CUP 36.34

$1.71 €1.47

-11.70%

Eggs

$3.77 CUP 90.4

$3.15 €2.71

19.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.26 CUP 150

$13.68 €11.79

-54.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.73 CUP 137

$8.01 €6.90

-28.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.09 CUP 266

$15.52 €13.37

-28.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 CUP 66.1

$2.29 €1.98

20.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 CUP 38.11

$1.64 €1.41

-3.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 CUP 49.60

$1.94 €1.67

6.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 CUP 54.5

$2.51 €2.17

-9.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 CUP 47.64

$1.79 €1.54

11.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.76 CUP 42.25

$2.01 €1.73

-12.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 CUP 23.48

$1.97 €1.69

-50.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 CUP 24.26

$0.84 €0.73

20.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.06 CUP 97.4

$6.79 €5.85

-40.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.98 CUP 288

$5.67 €4.89

111.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 CUP 40.57

$1.39 €1.20

21.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 CUP 56.9

$3.02 €2.60

-21.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 CUP 5.15

$2.27 €1.95

-90.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.97 CUP 599

$45.44 €39.15

-45.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.29 CUP 79.0

$4.29 €3.70

-23.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 CUP 10.06

$0.85 €0.73

-50.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.28 CUP 367

$18.28 €15.75

-16.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 CUP 25.91

$1.99 €1.71

-45.73%

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

$69.6K CUP 1.7M

$35.0K €30.2K

98.52%

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

$81.4K CUP 2.0M

$39.5K €34.1K

105.71%

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

$34.90 CUP 838

$146 €126

-76.13%

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

$14.90 CUP 358

$20.45 €17.62

-27.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$250 CUP 6,009

$38.98 €33.58

542.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.68 CUP 952

$48.98 €42.21

-18.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.83 CUP 356

$18.83 €16.22

-21.24%

Cinema Ticket

$1.03 CUP 24.67

$9.52 €8.21

-89.18%

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

$163 CUP 3,909

$608 €524

-73.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,920 CUP 94.1K

$16.5K €14.2K

-76.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.9 CUP 1,677

$104 €89.5

-32.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.0 CUP 1,296

$42.12 €36.29

28.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.1 CUP 2,378

$92.2 €79.5

7.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 CUP 2,470

$120 €103

-14.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$552 CUP 13.2K

$1,621 €1,397

-65.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$349 CUP 8,370

$1,268 €1,092

-72.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$760 CUP 18.2K

$3,048 €2,626

-75.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$499 CUP 12.0K

$2,009 €1,731

-75.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$339 CUP 8,139

$7,663 €6,602

-95.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$381 CUP 9,132

$4,329 €3,730

-91.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$56.0 CUP 1,345

$1,585 €1,366

-96.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.94

3.81

29.66%

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

Last update for Santa Lucia: June 8, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $552 in Santa Lucia and $1,621 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 2728% 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: $30.00 in Santa Lucia vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $245 vs $269 per month, with Santa Lucia cheaper across the board.

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 Lucia vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Lucia and Lisbon differ by about 77% in total monthly costs ($1,276 vs $2,263 including rent). Santa Lucia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Lisbon earns 2728% 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: $552 in Santa Lucia versus $1,621 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $163 in Santa Lucia versus $608 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,276 in Santa Lucia versus $2,263 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Santa Lucia but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Santa Lucia 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 Lucia 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 Lucia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 77% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.