Cost of Living Comparison Between Sault Ste. Marie and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Sault Ste. Marie and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,126 in Sault Ste. Marie versus $2,316 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,104 in Sault Ste. Marie versus $3,361 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,082 in Sault Ste. Marie versus $4,405 in Lisbon.

Living in Sault Ste. Marie costs roughly 8% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sault Ste. Marie 55% above, Lisbon 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.21 CA$23.81

$17.30 €14.89

-0.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.4 CA$102

$63.3 €54.4

15.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.49 CA$14.51

$11.39 €9.80

-7.90%

Cappuccino

$3.65 CA$5.05

$3.19 €2.75

14.42%

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

$1.66 CA$2.30

$2.45 €2.10

-32.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 CA$1.95

$1.76 €1.52

-19.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.75 CA$6.57

$3.59 €3.09

32.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.14 CA$7.11

$3.39 €2.92

51.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.49 CA$3.45

$1.24 €1.06

100.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 CA$2.87

$1.98 €1.71

4.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.33 CA$4.61

$1.52 €1.31

119.08%

Eggs

$2.99 CA$4.14

$4.04 €3.48

-25.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.31 CA$11.51

$13.54 €11.65

-38.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.99 CA$13.83

$8.39 €7.22

19.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.61 CA$14.69

$18.25 €15.70

-41.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 CA$4.37

$2.29 €1.97

37.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 CA$1.39

$1.74 €1.50

-41.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 CA$4.32

$1.86 €1.60

67.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.45 CA$4.78

$2.63 €2.26

31.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 CA$2.89

$1.92 €1.65

8.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.48

$2.09 €1.80

-14.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.74 CA$3.79

$1.44 €1.24

90.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 CA$1.76

$0.84 €0.72

51.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.07 CA$22.23

$6.78 €5.83

137.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.71 CA$14.82

$5.71 €4.91

87.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 CA$2.48

$1.38 €1.18

29.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 CA$3.18

$2.22 €1.91

3.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.30 CA$3.18

$2.40 €2.06

-4.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.8 CA$78.6

$46.78 €40.25

21.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 CA$4.91

$4.17 €3.59

-14.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 CA$3.32

$1.14 €0.98

110.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.67 CA$32.75

$17.68 €15.21

33.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 CA$1.45

$2.32 €2.00

-54.74%

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

$24.6K CA$34.1K

$35.3K €30.4K

-30.31%

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

$19.1K CA$26.4K

$41.4K €35.7K

-53.94%

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

$183 CA$253

$170 €147

7.32%

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

$45.85 CA$63.5

$19.34 €16.64

137.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.8 CA$109

$33.64 €28.95

134.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.2 CA$70.9

$48.10 €41.39

6.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.74 CA$24.54

$19.90 €17.12

-10.85%

Cinema Ticket

$11.63 CA$16.09

$9.92 €8.54

17.24%

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

$717 €617

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,053 CA$6,992

$17.5K €15.0K

-71.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.24 CA$64.0

$105 €90.2

-55.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.29 CA$50.2

$46.95 €40.40

-22.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.5 CA$106

$103 €89.0

-26.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 CA$168

$124 €107

-2.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$906 CA$1,253

$1,677 €1,443

-45.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$952 CA$1,318

$1,271 €1,094

-25.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,330 CA$1,840

$2,985 €2,568

-55.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,512 CA$2,092

$1,992 €1,715

-24.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,863 CA$2,578

$7,826 €6,734

-76.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,654 CA$7,824

$4,658 €4,008

21.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,052 CA$4,223

$1,583 €1,362

92.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.53

3.79

45.91%

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

Last update for Sault Ste. Marie: August 29, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $906 in Sault Ste. Marie and $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sault Ste. Marie pays 93% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $73.0 in Sault Ste. Marie vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $283 per month, with Lisbon 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

Sault Ste. Marie vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sault Ste. Marie and Lisbon differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($2,126 vs $2,316 including rent). Sault Ste. Marie is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 93% higher in Sault Ste. Marie, 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: $906 in Sault Ste. Marie versus $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,126 per month in Sault Ste. Marie versus $2,316 in Lisbon – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,126 in Sault Ste. Marie versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Sault Ste. Marie but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Sault Ste. Marie 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, Sault Ste. Marie 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 Sault Ste. Marie gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.