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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,477 in Santa Marta versus $2,316 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,711 in Santa Marta versus $3,361 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,946 in Santa Marta versus $4,405 in Lisbon.

Living in Santa Marta costs roughly 36% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Santa Marta 8% above, Lisbon 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.93

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.6

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.83

Cappuccino

$3.83 COP 12.1K

$3.19 €2.75

20.06%

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

$2.45 €2.11

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.10

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.93

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 COP 5,076

$1.24 €1.07

29.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 COP 7,184

$1.98 €1.71

15.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 COP 3,705

$1.52 €1.31

-22.37%

Eggs

$2.48 COP 7,795

$4.04 €3.49

-38.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.40 COP 26.4K

$13.54 €11.68

-37.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 COP 31.5K

$8.39 €7.24

19.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.34 COP 35.7K

$18.25 €15.75

-37.86%

Apples (1kg)

$4.15 COP 13.1K

$2.29 €1.98

81.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.02 COP 3,216

$1.74 €1.50

-41.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,412

$1.86 €1.60

-41.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 COP 6,556

$2.63 €2.27

-20.91%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 COP 2,906

$1.92 €1.65

-52.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,849

$2.09 €1.81

-26.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.97 COP 3,069

$1.44 €1.24

-32.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 COP 2,066

$0.84 €0.73

-21.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.13 COP 13.0K

$6.78 €5.85

-39.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.09 COP 53.8K

$5.71 €4.93

199.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,459

$1.38 €1.19

2.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 COP 4,417

$2.22 €1.91

-36.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 COP 2,850

$2.40 €2.07

-62.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.37

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 COP 10.3K

$4.17 €3.60

-21.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.26

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,095

$2.32 €2.01

-43.97%

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

$23.8K COP 75.1M

$35.3K €30.5K

-32.51%

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

$34.5K COP 108.7M

$41.4K €35.8K

-16.69%

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

$159 COP 499.5K

$170 €147

-6.89%

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

$9.41 COP 29.6K

$19.34 €16.69

-51.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.28 COP 70.2K

$33.64 €29.03

-33.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.72 COP 99.9K

$48.10 €41.50

-34.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.17

Cinema Ticket

$5.36 COP 16.9K

$9.92 €8.56

-45.97%

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

$717 €619

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K COP 34.8M

$17.5K €15.1K

-36.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 COP 276.2K

$105 €90.4

-16.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.3 COP 196.3K

$46.95 €40.51

32.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 COP 298.5K

$103 €89.2

-8.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.2 COP 280.9K

$124 €107

-28.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,094 COP 3.4M

$1,677 €1,447

-34.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$755 COP 2.4M

$1,271 €1,097

-40.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 COP 3.5M

$2,985 €2,575

-63.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$645 COP 2.0M

$1,992 €1,719

-67.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,101 COP 3.5M

$7,826 €6,753

-85.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,194 COP 3.8M

$4,658 €4,019

-74.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$544 COP 1.7M

$1,583 €1,366

-65.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.54

3.79

415.57%

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

Last update for Santa Marta: August 29, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,094 in Santa Marta and $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 191% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

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 Marta vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Marta and Lisbon differ by about 57% in total monthly costs ($1,477 vs $2,316 including rent). Santa Marta is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 191% 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: $1,094 in Santa Marta versus $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,477 per month in Santa Marta versus $2,316 in Lisbon – a 57% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,477 in Santa Marta versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Santa Marta but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Santa Marta 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 Marta 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 Marta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 57% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.