Cost of Living Comparison Between Santarem and Santiago de Compostela Cost of Living Comparison Between Santarem and Santiago de Compostela

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,575 in Santarem versus $1,447 in Santiago de Compostela.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,069 in Santarem versus $2,174 in Santiago de Compostela.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,563 in Santarem versus $2,900 in Santiago de Compostela.

Living in Santarem is roughly 9% more expensive than Santiago de Compostela, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Santarem 18% above, Santiago de Compostela 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.91 €11.97

$13.87 €11.93

0.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.99 €34.40

$54.8 €47.11

-26.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.66 €7.45

$9.65 €8.30

-10.26%

Cappuccino

$1.65 €1.42

$1.94 €1.67

-14.95%

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

$1.31 €1.12

$2.36 €2.03

-44.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$2.02 €1.74

-31.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.34 €2.02

$3.03 €2.61

-22.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 €2.93

$3.65 €3.14

-6.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.15 €0.99

-6.09%

White Bread (500g)

$0.47 €0.41

$1.21 €1.04

-61.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 €1.01

$1.61 €1.39

-27.33%

Eggs

$3.06 €2.63

$2.97 €2.55

3.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.04 €9.50

$9.29 €7.99

18.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.52 €6.47

$6.30 €5.42

19.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.81 €11.88

$17.02 €14.64

-18.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 €2.24

$1.83 €1.57

42.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 €1.18

$2.22 €1.91

-38.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 €1.92

$1.53 €1.32

45.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.35 €2.02

$2.84 €2.44

-17.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.48 €1.27

$2.13 €1.83

-30.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$1.52 €1.31

9.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 €0.76

$1.18 €1.01

-25.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 €0.25

$0.69 €0.59

-56.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.79 €4.98

$6.16 €5.30

-6.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.00 €5.16

$5.39 €4.64

11.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.49 €1.28

-14.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 €3.30

$2.41 €2.07

58.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 €1.94

$1.25 €1.07

80.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.55 €36.60

$34.88 €30.00

21.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.67 €3.15

$4.58 €3.94

-19.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 €1.19

$1.26 €1.08

10.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.62 €15.15

$22.95 €19.74

-23.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.82 €1.56

9.34%

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

$34.8K €30.0K

$28.4K €24.4K

22.60%

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

$39.8K €34.2K

$31.2K €26.9K

27.26%

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

$84.5 €72.7

$162 €140

-48.00%

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

$21.79 €18.75

$21.15 €18.19

3.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.45 €42.54

$33.39 €28.72

48.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.87 €33.44

$41.32 €35.54

-5.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$2.32 €2.00

Cinema Ticket

$6.88 €5.92

$10.00 €8.60

-31.20%

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

$442 €381

$349 €300

26.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,434 €7,255

$8,176 €7,033

3.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.1 €73.2

$77.4 €66.5

10.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.38 €33.87

$32.12 €27.63

22.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.3 €85.4

$86.3 €74.2

15.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 €79.2

$97.7 €84.1

-5.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$910 €783

$730 €628

24.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$728 €626

$526 €453

38.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,457 €1,253

$1,033 €889

41.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$689 €593

$881 €758

-21.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,267 €1,950

$3,181 €2,737

-28.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,183 €1,018

$2,224 €1,913

-46.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,089 €937

$1,974 €1,698

-44.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.32

3.33

59.76%

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

Last update for Santarem: May 31, 2026

Last update for Santiago de Compostela: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $910 in Santarem and $730 in Santiago de Compostela. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santiago de Compostela pays 81% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $40.00 in Santarem vs $55.0 in Santiago de Compostela for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $227 vs $241 per month, with Santarem 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

Santarem vs Santiago de Compostela: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santiago de Compostela wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Santarem. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Santiago de Compostela the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Santiago de Compostela earns 81% less. 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: $910 in Santarem versus $730 in Santiago de Compostela. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Santiago de Compostela runs roughly 22% less than in Santarem. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $442 in Santarem versus $349 in Santiago de Compostela. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,447 in Santiago de Compostela versus $1,575 in Santarem, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Santiago de Compostela but tight or insufficient in Santarem. The gap between the two cities makes Santiago de Compostela 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, Santarem and Santiago de Compostela 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 Santiago de Compostela gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Santarem. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.