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: $1,270 in Santiago versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,013 in Santiago versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,756 in Santiago versus $4,411 in Lisbon.

Living in Santiago costs roughly 43% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Santiago is 5% below, Lisbon is 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.93 CLP 9,698

$15.91 €13.69

-31.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 CLP 47.1K

$64.8 €55.7

-18.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.30 CLP 7,367

$10.51 €9.04

-21.03%

Cappuccino

$3.11 CLP 2,762

$2.87 €2.47

8.36%

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

$1.79 CLP 1,587

$2.24 €1.93

-20.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 CLP 1,144

$1.50 €1.29

-14.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 CLP 2,829

$3.49 €3.00

-8.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 CLP 3,897

$3.88 €3.34

13.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 CLP 1,061

$1.14 €0.98

5.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 CLP 1,409

$1.75 €1.51

-9.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 CLP 1,931

$1.76 €1.51

23.86%

Eggs

$4.14 CLP 3,671

$3.22 €2.77

28.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.66 CLP 9,456

$13.49 €11.61

-20.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.48 CLP 5,748

$7.91 €6.81

-18.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.79 CLP 9,579

$15.87 €13.65

-32.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 CLP 1,779

$2.31 €1.99

-13.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 CLP 1,450

$1.70 €1.46

-4.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 CLP 1,891

$2.01 €1.73

5.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 CLP 1,630

$2.46 €2.12

-25.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 CLP 1,734

$1.84 €1.59

5.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.68 CLP 1,487

$2.00 €1.72

-16.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 CLP 1,147

$1.93 €1.66

-33.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 CLP 1,054

$0.79 €0.68

50.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.56 CLP 4,935

$6.61 €5.68

-15.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.77 CLP 6,010

$5.72 €4.92

18.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 CLP 1,365

$1.37 €1.17

12.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 CLP 2,195

$2.97 €2.56

-16.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 CLP 754

$2.37 €2.04

-64.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.05 CLP 37.3K

$45.56 €39.19

-7.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.50 CLP 445

$4.29 €3.69

-88.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 CLP 1,268

$0.82 €0.70

74.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.70 CLP 10.4K

$18.30 €15.74

-36.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 CLP 1,215

$2.06 €1.78

-33.50%

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

$19.6K CLP 17.4M

$34.3K €29.5K

-42.72%

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

$22.6K CLP 20.1M

$39.3K €33.8K

-42.49%

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

$133 CLP 118.4K

$148 €127

-9.79%

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

$13.65 CLP 12.1K

$20.52 €17.65

-33.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.85 CLP 19.4K

$39.61 €34.08

-44.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.74 CLP 29.9K

$47.85 €41.16

-29.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.94 CLP 18.6K

$18.92 €16.28

10.68%

Cinema Ticket

$6.55 CLP 5,817

$9.18 €7.90

-28.65%

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

$436 CLP 387.1K

$614 €528

-28.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,621 CLP 7.7M

$16.0K €13.8K

-46.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.0 CLP 48.8K

$105 €90.0

-47.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.75 CLP 29.1K

$42.06 €36.18

-22.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.0 CLP 67.4K

$94.0 €80.8

-19.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.5 CLP 74.1K

$120 €103

-30.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$519 CLP 460.6K

$1,628 €1,400

-68.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 CLP 415.5K

$1,255 €1,080

-62.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 CLP 897.8K

$3,030 €2,607

-66.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$888 CLP 787.7K

$2,020 €1,738

-56.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,891 CLP 2.6M

$7,800 €6,709

-62.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,897 CLP 2.6M

$4,273 €3,675

-32.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$884 CLP 784.5K

$1,603 €1,379

-44.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.18

3.81

35.96%

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

Last update for Santiago: May 31, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $519 in Santiago and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 81% 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 $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $242 vs $269 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 74% in total monthly costs ($1,270 vs $2,210 including rent). Santiago is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Lisbon 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: $519 in Santiago versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Santiago versus $614 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,270 in Santiago versus $2,210 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 74% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.