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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,491 in Santiago de Compostela versus $1,333 in Santarem.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,281 in Santiago de Compostela versus $2,081 in Santarem.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,071 in Santiago de Compostela versus $2,828 in Santarem.

Living in Santiago de Compostela is roughly 12% more expensive than in Santarem, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Santiago de Compostela is 9% above, Santarem is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.72 €11.84

$12.81 €11.06

7.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.6 €60.1

$40.51 €34.95

71.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.63 €8.31

$9.22 €7.96

4.45%

Cappuccino

$2.13 €1.83

$1.82 €1.57

17.03%

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

$2.91 €2.51

$1.77 €1.53

64.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 €1.99

$1.19 €1.02

93.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.22 €2.78

$2.25 €1.94

43.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 €3.59

$3.47 €2.99

19.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.19 €1.03

4.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 €1.06

$0.44 €0.38

177.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 €1.21

$1.18 €1.02

18.64%

Eggs

$2.97 €2.56

$3.56 €3.07

-16.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 €7.81

$11.55 €9.96

-21.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.07 €6.10

$7.24 €6.24

-2.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.33 €14.96

$14.08 €12.15

23.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.14 €1.84

$2.83 €2.44

-24.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.35 €1.17

56.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.54 €2.19

-40.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.87 €2.48

$2.22 €1.92

29.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.81

$1.48 €1.28

41.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 €1.34

$1.61 €1.39

-3.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.14 €0.99

3.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 €0.75

$0.32 €0.28

171.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.11 €5.28

$6.10 €5.26

0.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.27 €4.55

$5.97 €5.15

-11.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.29 €1.11

16.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 €2.06

$3.77 €3.25

-36.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.32 €1.14

$2.35 €2.02

-43.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.46 €30.60

$57.4 €49.48

-38.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.06 €4.37

$3.72 €3.21

36.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 €1.17

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.38 €16.73

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 €1.55

$2.06 €1.78

-13.11%

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

$36.3K €31.3K

$34.9K €30.1K

4.17%

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

$30.1K €25.9K

$40.3K €34.8K

-25.40%

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

$161 €139

$137 €118

17.72%

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

$22.63 €19.53

$21.21 €18.30

6.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.78 €30.01

$57.3 €49.41

-39.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 €46.07

$38.84 €33.52

37.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$2.35 €2.03

Cinema Ticket

$10.33 €8.92

$7.15 €6.17

44.48%

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

$354 €305

$444 €383

-20.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,689 €7,498

$19.2K €16.6K

-54.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.2 €79.6

$82.1 €70.8

12.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.9 €56.9

$39.25 €33.87

67.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €91.4

$109 €94.1

-2.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.0 €83.7

$140 €121

-30.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$762 €657

$671 €579

13.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$541 €467

$434 €375

24.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,092 €942

$1,048 €904

4.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$931 €803

$818 €706

13.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,145 €2,714

$2,259 €1,949

39.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,246 €1,938

$1,148 €991

95.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,950 €1,683

$1,093 €943

78.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.96

4.76

-37.82%

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

Last update for Santiago de Compostela: August 29, 2026

Last update for Santarem: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $762 in Santiago de Compostela and $671 in Santarem. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santiago de Compostela pays 78% 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: $70.0 in Santiago de Compostela vs $41.00 in Santarem for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $248 vs $234 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

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

Santarem wins on cost – living expenses run 12% lower than in Santiago de Compostela. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Santarem the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 78% higher in Santiago de Compostela, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $762 in Santiago de Compostela versus $671 in Santarem. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Santarem runs roughly 62% less than in Santiago de Compostela. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $354 in Santiago de Compostela versus $444 in Santarem. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,333 in Santarem versus $1,491 in Santiago de Compostela, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Santarem but tight or insufficient in Santiago de Compostela. The gap between the two cities makes Santarem 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, Santiago de Compostela and Santarem 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 Santarem gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Santiago de Compostela. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.