Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Rosa, CA and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,210 a month against $3,442 in Santa Rosa, CA, rent and utilities included – about $14,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Santa Rosa, CA, United States
Lisbon, Portugal
Santa Rosa, CA
🇺🇸 United States
$3,442
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Santa Rosa, CA and in Lisbon

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Santa Rosa, CA and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,442 in Santa Rosa, CA versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

  • Santa Rosa, CA $3,442
  • Lisbon $2,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,030 in Santa Rosa, CA versus $3,275 in Lisbon.

  • Santa Rosa, CA $5,030
  • Lisbon $3,275

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,617 in Santa Rosa, CA versus $4,341 in Lisbon.

  • Santa Rosa, CA $6,617
  • Lisbon $4,341

Living in Santa Rosa, CA is roughly 56% more expensive than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Santa Rosa, CA 153% above, Lisbon 62% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Santa Rosa, CA
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$27.06 $27.06
$16.65 €14.96
62.52%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$90.5 $90.5
$61.7 €55.5
46.60%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.15 $12.15
$11.36 €10.20
6.95%
Cappuccino
$6.60 $6.60
$2.97 €2.67
122.22%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.22 $3.22
$2.29 €2.06
40.61%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.15 $3.15
$1.74 €1.56
81.03%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.88 $7.88
$3.40 €3.06
131.76%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.92 $8.92
$3.31 €2.97
169.49%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Santa Rosa, CA
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.37 $1.37
$1.16 €1.04
18.10%
White Bread (500g)
$4.59 $4.59
$1.91 €1.72
140.31%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.75 $4.75
$1.51 €1.36
214.57%
Eggs
$5.44 $5.44
$4.02 €3.61
35.32%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$22.62 $22.62
$12.94 €11.62
74.81%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$15.25 $15.25
$7.77 €6.99
96.27%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.99 $20.99
$17.76 €15.96
18.19%
Apples (1kg)
$6.10 $6.10
$2.30 €2.07
165.22%
Banana (1kg)
$2.50 $2.50
$1.73 €1.56
44.51%
Oranges (1kg)
$6.76 $6.76
$1.86 €1.67
263.44%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.84 $6.84
$2.59 €2.33
164.09%
Potato (1kg)
$3.94 $3.94
$1.82 €1.64
116.48%
Onion (1kg)
$3.48 $3.48
$1.97 €1.77
76.65%
Lettuce (1 head)
$3.06 $3.06
$1.47 €1.32
108.16%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.97 $1.97
$0.72 €0.65
173.61%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.74 $11.74
$6.58 €5.92
78.42%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.85 $11.85
$5.61 €5.04
111.23%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.16 $2.16
$1.36 €1.22
58.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.07 $2.07
$2.14 €1.92
-3.27%
🚌 Getting Around
Santa Rosa, CA
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.53 $1.53
$2.33 €2.10
-34.33%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$50.2 $50.2
$44.68 €40.14
12.35%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.93 $3.93
$3.85 €3.46
2.08%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.95 $1.95
$1.07 €0.96
82.24%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$29.43 $29.43
$16.46 €14.79
78.80%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.49 $1.49
$2.20 €1.98
-32.27%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.5K $27.5K
$34.2K €30.7K
-19.56%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K $26.7K
$38.7K €34.8K
-31.02%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Santa Rosa, CA
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$196 $196
$161 €145
21.49%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$49.40 $49.40
$18.41 €16.54
168.33%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$71.5 $71.5
$32.74 €29.41
118.48%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Santa Rosa, CA
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$68.2 $68.2
$44.55 €40.03
53.06%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$13.99 $13.99
$19.10 €17.16
-26.75%
Cinema Ticket
$14.27 $14.27
$9.60 €8.62
48.65%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Santa Rosa, CA
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,255 $1,255
$668 €600
87.91%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$40.0K $40.0K
$17.6K €15.8K
127.27%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Santa Rosa, CA
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$50.5 $50.5
$102 €91.7
-50.50%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$36.55 $36.55
$44.46 €39.95
-17.79%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 $105
$98.5 €88.5
6.65%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$127 $127
$124 €111
2.50%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Santa Rosa, CA
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,336 $2,336
$1,608 €1,445
45.23%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,893 $1,893
$1,190 €1,069
59.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,569 $3,569
$2,812 €2,527
26.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,100 $3,100
$2,013 €1,809
54.00%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,019 $5,019
$7,839 €7,043
-35.97%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,908 $4,908
$4,576 €4,111
7.27%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Santa Rosa, CA
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,740 $4,740
$1,575 €1,415
200.97%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.46
3.85
67.79%

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

Last update for Santa Rosa, CA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Santa Rosa, CA
$1.9K
Lisbon
$1.2K 37.1% $703
Groceries & Markets
Santa Rosa, CA
$507
Lisbon
$272 46.3% $235
Eating Out
Santa Rosa, CA
$415
Lisbon
$243 41.5% $172
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Santa Rosa, CA
$317
Lisbon
$212 33% $104
Clothing & Footwear
Santa Rosa, CA
$143
Lisbon
$166 15.6% $22
Sport & Entertainment
Santa Rosa, CA
$97
Lisbon
$64 34.1% $33
Getting Around
Santa Rosa, CA
$70
Lisbon
$63 9.7% $6.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,336 in Santa Rosa, CA and $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Rosa, CA pays about 3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $91 in Santa Rosa, CA vs $62 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $507 vs $272 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Santa Rosa, CA
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
22:59 10:59 PM
05:59 5:59 AM
7 h ahead of Santa Rosa, CA
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
174,972
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Santa Rosa, CA Lisbon 9,080 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Santa Rosa, CA
  • Lisbon

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Rosa, CA vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Santa Rosa, CA and in Lisbon?
Santa Rosa, CA and Lisbon differ by about 56% in total monthly costs ($3,442 vs $2,210 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Santa Rosa, CA or Lisbon?
Average pay in Santa Rosa, CA is about 3 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Santa Rosa, CA and in Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $2,336 in Santa Rosa, CA versus $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Santa Rosa, CA and Lisbon?
Childcare runs $1,255 in Santa Rosa, CA versus $668 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 86% higher in Santa Rosa, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
At $2,210 in Lisbon versus $3,442 in Santa Rosa, CA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Santa Rosa, CA. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Santa Rosa, CA and Lisbon?
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.
Where should expats move: Santa Rosa, CA or Lisbon?
Expats usually find Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Santa Rosa, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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