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: $1,293 in Santa Lucia versus $2,296 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,823 in Santa Lucia versus $3,376 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,353 in Santa Lucia versus $4,457 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 6% below, Lisbon is 68% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.18 CUP 244

$17.59 €15.32

-42.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.76 CUP 714

$62.9 €54.8

-52.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.16 CUP 172

$11.58 €10.09

-38.17%

Cappuccino

$3.39 CUP 81.5

$3.10 €2.70

9.35%

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

$1.12 CUP 26.92

$2.49 €2.17

-55.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 CUP 22.10

$1.74 €1.52

-47.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.96 CUP 47.05

$3.48 €3.03

-43.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 CUP 69.8

$3.44 €3.00

-15.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 CUP 46.20

$1.15 €1.00

67.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 CUP 43.27

$1.91 €1.66

-5.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 CUP 35.56

$1.50 €1.31

-1.33%

Eggs

$3.64 CUP 87.4

$3.98 €3.47

-8.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.25 CUP 150

$13.29 €11.58

-52.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.72 CUP 137

$8.01 €6.98

-28.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.08 CUP 266

$18.04 €15.72

-38.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 CUP 66.6

$2.35 €2.05

18.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 CUP 36.79

$1.75 €1.52

-12.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 CUP 48.43

$1.85 €1.62

9.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 CUP 52.7

$2.55 €2.22

-14.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 CUP 47.25

$1.84 €1.61

7.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 CUP 43.13

$2.10 €1.83

-14.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 CUP 24.39

$1.49 €1.29

-31.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 CUP 24.53

$0.82 €0.71

24.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.11 CUP 98.7

$7.10 €6.18

-42.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.84 CUP 284

$5.91 €5.15

100.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 CUP 39.30

$1.31 €1.15

25.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 CUP 56.1

$2.13 €1.86

9.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 CUP 4.30

$2.36 €2.05

-92.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.29 CUP 607

$46.62 €40.61

-45.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 CUP 77.1

$4.08 €3.55

-21.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 CUP 9.27

$1.14 €0.99

-65.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.03 CUP 361

$17.09 €14.89

-12.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 CUP 25.65

$2.31 €2.01

-53.68%

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

$70.9K CUP 1.7M

$34.1K €29.7K

107.88%

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

$79.0K CUP 1.9M

$41.4K €36.0K

90.93%

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

$34.71 CUP 833

$169 €147

-79.41%

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

$15.23 CUP 366

$19.33 €16.84

-21.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$249 CUP 5,970

$33.51 €29.20

642.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.13 CUP 963

$48.84 €42.55

-17.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.14 CUP 363

$19.43 €16.93

-22.08%

Cinema Ticket

$1.02 CUP 24.45

$9.57 €8.34

-89.34%

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

$168 CUP 4,026

$696 €606

-75.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,017 CUP 96.4K

$17.4K €15.1K

-76.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.7 CUP 1,672

$105 €91.7

-33.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.6 CUP 1,335

$47.75 €41.60

16.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.2 CUP 2,356

$101 €87.6

-2.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 CUP 2,561

$124 €108

-14.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$558 CUP 13.4K

$1,662 €1,448

-66.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$353 CUP 8,474

$1,246 €1,086

-71.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$752 CUP 18.1K

$2,965 €2,583

-74.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$505 CUP 12.1K

$2,049 €1,785

-75.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$345 CUP 8,282

$7,834 €6,825

-95.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$368 CUP 8,833

$4,464 €3,889

-91.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$56.3 CUP 1,351

$1,632 €1,421

-96.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.94

3.78

30.69%

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

Last update for Santa Lucia: September 14, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $558 in Santa Lucia and $1,662 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 2798% 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 $243 vs $277 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 78% in total monthly costs ($1,293 vs $2,296 including rent). Santa Lucia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 2798% 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: $558 in Santa Lucia versus $1,662 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $168 in Santa Lucia versus $696 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,293 in Santa Lucia versus $2,296 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 78% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.