Cost of Living Comparison Between Santiago and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Santiago and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,233 in Santiago versus $2,316 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,947 in Santiago versus $3,361 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,660 in Santiago versus $4,405 in Lisbon.

Living in Santiago costs roughly 47% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Santiago is 10% below, Lisbon is 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.81 CLP 10.1K

$17.30 €14.93

-37.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.9 CLP 49.6K

$63.3 €54.6

-16.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.15 CLP 8,580

$11.39 €9.83

-19.67%

Cappuccino

$3.38 CLP 3,172

$3.19 €2.75

5.96%

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

$1.74 CLP 1,631

$2.45 €2.11

-28.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 CLP 1,230

$1.76 €1.52

-25.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.30 CLP 4,035

$3.59 €3.10

19.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 CLP 4,633

$3.39 €2.93

45.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 CLP 1,282

$1.24 €1.07

10.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 CLP 1,739

$1.98 €1.71

-6.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 CLP 1,583

$1.52 €1.31

11.18%

Eggs

$4.14 CLP 3,877

$4.04 €3.49

2.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.39 CLP 10.7K

$13.54 €11.68

-15.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.78 CLP 6,359

$8.39 €7.24

-19.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.35 CLP 10.6K

$18.25 €15.75

-37.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 CLP 1,882

$2.29 €1.98

-12.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 CLP 1,545

$1.74 €1.50

-5.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 CLP 1,636

$1.86 €1.60

-5.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.78 CLP 1,672

$2.63 €2.27

-32.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 CLP 1,048

$1.92 €1.65

-41.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.61 CLP 1,510

$2.09 €1.81

-22.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 CLP 1,238

$1.44 €1.24

-8.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 CLP 1,054

$0.84 €0.73

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.61 CLP 5,262

$6.78 €5.85

-17.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.27 CLP 5,876

$5.71 €4.93

9.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 CLP 1,499

$1.38 €1.19

15.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 CLP 2,353

$2.22 €1.91

13.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 CLP 783

$2.40 €2.07

-65.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.10 CLP 39.5K

$46.78 €40.37

-10.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.41 CLP 387

$4.17 €3.60

-90.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.89 CLP 834

$1.14 €0.98

-21.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.16 CLP 11.4K

$17.68 €15.26

-31.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 CLP 1,489

$2.32 €2.01

-31.47%

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

$18.3K CLP 17.2M

$35.3K €30.5K

-48.09%

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

$22.5K CLP 21.1M

$41.4K €35.8K

-45.77%

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

$155 CLP 145.2K

$170 €147

-9.08%

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

$13.12 CLP 12.3K

$19.34 €16.69

-32.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.80 CLP 19.5K

$33.64 €29.03

-38.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.92 CLP 32.7K

$48.10 €41.50

-27.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.43 CLP 11.6K

$19.90 €17.17

-37.54%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 CLP 7,204

$9.92 €8.56

-22.48%

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

$456 CLP 427.1K

$717 €619

-36.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K CLP 10.6M

$17.5K €15.1K

-35.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.2 CLP 49.9K

$105 €90.4

-49.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.18 CLP 28.3K

$46.95 €40.51

-35.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.1 CLP 65.7K

$103 €89.2

-32.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.3 CLP 80.0K

$124 €107

-31.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$555 CLP 520.6K

$1,677 €1,447

-66.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$389 CLP 364.4K

$1,271 €1,097

-69.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,084 CLP 1.0M

$2,985 €2,575

-63.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$818 CLP 766.5K

$1,992 €1,719

-58.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,686 CLP 2.5M

$7,826 €6,753

-65.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,689 CLP 2.5M

$4,658 €4,019

-42.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$836 CLP 783.6K

$1,583 €1,366

-47.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

3.79

42.22%

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

Last update for Santiago: August 30, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $555 in Santiago and $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 89% 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: $53.0 in Santiago vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $244 vs $283 per month, with Santiago 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 vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santiago and Lisbon differ by about 88% in total monthly costs ($1,233 vs $2,316 including rent). Santiago is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 89% 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: $555 in Santiago versus $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $456 in Santiago versus $717 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,233 in Santiago versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Santiago but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Santiago 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 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 Santiago gentler on the wallet – expenses run 88% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.