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: $1,078 in Santa Marta versus $2,291 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,454 in Santa Marta versus $3,322 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,830 in Santa Marta versus $4,354 in Lisbon.

Living in Santa Marta costs roughly 53% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Santa Marta is 19% below, Lisbon is 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.66 COP 11.9K

$16.19 €14.15

-77.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.29 COP 92.0K

$63.3 €55.3

-55.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.22 COP 20.2K

$10.32 €9.02

-39.73%

Cappuccino

$1.55 COP 5,030

$2.83 €2.47

-45.23%

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

$0.73 COP 2,369

$2.29 €2.00

-68.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 COP 1,500

$1.58 €1.38

-70.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.82 COP 2,673

$3.40 €2.97

-75.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 COP 5,476

$4.03 €3.52

-58.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 COP 3,624

$1.09 €0.95

1.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 COP 3,864

$1.75 €1.53

-32.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.90 COP 2,915

$1.76 €1.54

-48.86%

Eggs

$2.45 COP 7,949

$3.17 €2.77

-22.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.69 COP 12.0K

$13.19 €11.53

-72.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.07 COP 13.2K

$7.97 €6.96

-48.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.85 COP 25.5K

$15.53 €13.57

-49.45%

Apples (1kg)

$1.74 COP 5,673

$2.37 €2.07

-26.58%

Banana (1kg)

$0.76 COP 2,467

$1.71 €1.49

-55.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.98 COP 3,193

$2.01 €1.75

-51.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.71 COP 2,317

$2.43 €2.12

-70.78%

Potato (1kg)

$0.51 COP 1,668

$1.76 €1.54

-71.02%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 COP 3,227

$2.03 €1.78

-51.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 COP 3,383

$1.92 €1.68

-45.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 COP 1,788

$0.85 €0.74

-35.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.41 COP 7,824

$6.58 €5.75

-63.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.04 COP 48.9K

$5.58 €4.87

169.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,752

$1.33 €1.16

9.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,582

$2.97 €2.60

-52.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 COP 2,205

$2.28 €1.99

-70.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.46 COP 47.0K

$45.79 €40.01

-68.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 COP 5,474

$4.23 €3.69

-60.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 COP 5,813

$0.81 €0.71

120.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.42 COP 27.4K

$18.44 €16.11

-54.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 COP 3,190

$2.08 €1.82

-52.88%

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

$21.2K COP 68.9M

$34.7K €30.3K

-38.89%

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

$26.2K COP 85.2M

$39.2K €34.2K

-33.10%

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

$192 COP 624.2K

$148 €129

29.68%

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

$8.78 COP 28.6K

$20.46 €17.88

-57.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.15 COP 78.5K

$39.56 €34.56

-38.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.49 COP 63.4K

$47.99 €41.93

-59.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.94 COP 25.8K

$18.60 €16.25

-57.31%

Cinema Ticket

$4.87 COP 15.8K

$9.22 €8.06

-47.18%

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

$167 COP 542.4K

$616 €538

-72.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,906 COP 16.0M

$16.4K €14.4K

-70.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.94 COP 129.8K

$103 €89.7

-61.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.37 COP 115.0K

$41.74 €36.47

-15.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 COP 259.6K

$94.8 €82.8

-15.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.9 COP 194.6K

$122 €107

-50.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$281 COP 912.6K

$1,633 €1,426

-82.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$450 COP 1.5M

$1,232 €1,077

-63.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$685 COP 2.2M

$3,098 €2,707

-77.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$564 COP 1.8M

$2,031 €1,775

-72.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,078 COP 6.8M

$7,831 €6,842

-73.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$996 COP 3.2M

$4,389 €3,835

-77.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$530 COP 1.7M

$1,607 €1,404

-67.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

3.81

126.25%

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

Last update for Santa Marta: July 14, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $281 in Santa Marta and $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 203% 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: $28.00 in Santa Marta vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $167 vs $267 per month, with Santa Marta cheaper across the board.

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 112% in total monthly costs ($1,078 vs $2,291 including rent). Santa Marta is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 203% 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: $281 in Santa Marta versus $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $167 in Santa Marta versus $616 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 60% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,078 in Santa Marta versus $2,291 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 112% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.