Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Tome and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Tome and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,087 in Sao Tome versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,830 in Sao Tome versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,573 in Sao Tome versus $4,411 in Lisbon.

Living in Sao Tome costs roughly 51% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sao Tome is 19% below, Lisbon is 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.64 STN 433

$15.91 €13.69

29.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.23 STN 971

$64.8 €55.7

-28.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.91 STN 208

$10.51 €9.04

-5.71%

Cappuccino

$1.73 STN 36.29

$2.87 €2.47

-39.72%

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

$1.86 STN 39.04

$2.24 €1.93

-16.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 STN 24.73

$1.50 €1.29

-21.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.62 STN 33.98

$3.49 €3.00

-53.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 STN 40.35

$3.88 €3.34

-50.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 STN 28.98

$1.14 €0.98

21.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 STN 20.97

$1.75 €1.51

-42.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 STN 48.76

$1.76 €1.51

31.82%

Eggs

$4.96 STN 104

$3.22 €2.77

54.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.53 STN 431

$13.49 €11.61

52.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$19.97 STN 419

$7.91 €6.81

152.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.64 STN 517

$15.87 €13.65

55.26%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 STN 99.3

$2.31 €1.99

104.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.13 STN 23.63

$1.70 €1.46

-33.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.00 STN 83.9

$2.01 €1.73

99.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.57 STN 75.0

$2.46 €2.12

45.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 STN 55.5

$1.84 €1.59

43.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.08 STN 43.63

$2.00 €1.72

4.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 STN 14.89

$1.93 €1.66

-63.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 STN 39.52

$0.79 €0.68

137.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 STN 48.83

$6.61 €5.68

-64.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.09 STN 170

$5.72 €4.92

41.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 STN 28.04

$1.37 €1.17

-2.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 STN 28.06

$2.97 €2.56

-54.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 STN 25.60

$2.37 €2.04

-48.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.88 STN 291

$18.30 €15.74

-24.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.63 STN 34.32

$2.06 €1.78

-20.87%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

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

$23.1K STN 484.8K

$39.3K €33.8K

-41.24%

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

$148 €127

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

$34.07 STN 716

$20.52 €17.65

66.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.5 STN 1,501

$39.61 €34.08

80.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.22 STN 782

$47.85 €41.16

-22.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.30 STN 615

$18.92 €16.28

54.86%

Cinema Ticket

$20.93 STN 440

$9.18 €7.90

128.00%

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

$614 €528

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$18.64 STN 392

$120 €103

-84.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$342 STN 7,191

$1,628 €1,400

-78.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$228 STN 4,796

$1,255 €1,080

-81.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$666 STN 14.0K

$3,030 €2,607

-78.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 STN 11.1K

$2,020 €1,738

-73.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,875 STN 39.4K

$7,800 €6,709

-75.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,168 STN 24.5K

$4,273 €3,675

-72.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$272 STN 5,709

$1,603 €1,379

-83.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.38

3.81

93.70%

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

Last update for Sao Tome: May 31, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $342 in Sao Tome and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 490% 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: $46.00 in Sao Tome vs $65.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $415 vs $269, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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

Sao Tome vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Tome and Lisbon differ by about 103% in total monthly costs ($1,087 vs $2,210 including rent). Sao Tome is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Lisbon earns 490% 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: $342 in Sao Tome versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Sao Tome – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $65.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,087 per month in Sao Tome versus $2,210 in Lisbon – a 103% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,087 in Sao Tome versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sao Tome but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Sao Tome 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, Sao Tome 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 Sao Tome gentler on the wallet – expenses run 103% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.