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: $1,291 in Santa Lucia versus $2,280 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,809 in Santa Lucia versus $3,294 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,326 in Santa Lucia versus $4,307 in Lisbon.

Living in Santa Lucia costs roughly 43% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Santa Lucia is 3% below, Lisbon is 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.81 CUP 236

$15.75 €13.64

-37.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.14 CUP 723

$63.5 €55.0

-52.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.21 CUP 173

$10.45 €9.05

-31.00%

Cappuccino

$3.35 CUP 80.5

$2.91 €2.52

15.12%

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

$1.07 CUP 25.66

$2.29 €1.98

-53.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 CUP 20.88

$1.50 €1.30

-42.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.98 CUP 47.55

$3.56 €3.09

-44.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 CUP 70.3

$3.96 €3.43

-26.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 CUP 47.96

$1.08 €0.94

85.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 CUP 43.39

$1.76 €1.53

2.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 CUP 36.84

$1.70 €1.47

-9.41%

Eggs

$3.72 CUP 89.2

$3.25 €2.81

14.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.38 CUP 153

$13.25 €11.47

-51.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.72 CUP 137

$7.70 €6.67

-25.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.04 CUP 265

$15.77 €13.66

-29.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 CUP 66.4

$2.28 €1.97

21.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 CUP 36.24

$1.66 €1.43

-9.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 CUP 48.67

$2.02 €1.75

0.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 CUP 54.6

$2.47 €2.14

-8.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 CUP 48.55

$1.79 €1.55

12.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.72 CUP 41.30

$2.07 €1.79

-16.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 CUP 24.49

$1.97 €1.71

-48.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 CUP 23.57

$0.83 €0.72

18.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 CUP 93.9

$6.55 €5.68

-40.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.20 CUP 293

$5.57 €4.82

119.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 CUP 40.04

$1.33 €1.15

25.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 CUP 57.6

$3.01 €2.60

-20.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 CUP 4.97

$2.27 €1.97

-90.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.16 CUP 604

$46.35 €40.14

-45.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 CUP 76.6

$4.23 €3.66

-24.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 CUP 9.16

$0.85 €0.73

-55.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.78 CUP 355

$18.83 €16.31

-21.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 CUP 24.68

$2.02 €1.75

-49.01%

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

$70.3K CUP 1.7M

$35.0K €30.3K

101.21%

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

$80.2K CUP 1.9M

$39.6K €34.3K

102.31%

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

$35.02 CUP 840

$148 €128

-76.33%

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

$14.95 CUP 359

$20.52 €17.77

-27.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$252 CUP 6,042

$39.52 €34.23

536.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.32 CUP 968

$48.17 €41.72

-16.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.30 CUP 367

$18.39 €15.92

-16.80%

Cinema Ticket

$1.03 CUP 24.71

$9.10 €7.88

-88.68%

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

$163 CUP 3,909

$615 €532

-73.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,070 CUP 97.7K

$16.3K €14.1K

-75.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.9 CUP 1,703

$102 €88.0

-30.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.4 CUP 1,305

$42.09 €36.45

29.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 CUP 2,447

$92.3 €79.9

10.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CUP 2,554

$122 €106

-12.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$546 CUP 13.1K

$1,612 €1,396

-66.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$357 CUP 8,556

$1,254 €1,086

-71.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$757 CUP 18.2K

$3,069 €2,658

-75.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$494 CUP 11.9K

$2,037 €1,764

-75.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$335 CUP 8,031

$7,751 €6,712

-95.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$368 CUP 8,821

$4,286 €3,712

-91.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$56.1 CUP 1,347

$1,602 €1,387

-96.50%

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $546 in Santa Lucia and $1,612 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 2754% 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 $267 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 ($1,291 vs $2,280 including rent). Santa Lucia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 2754% 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: $546 in Santa Lucia versus $1,612 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $163 in Santa Lucia versus $615 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,291 in Santa Lucia versus $2,280 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.