Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Southern Cross and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,206 a month against $2,532 in Southern Cross, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

121

Cost of Living Index in Southern Cross
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Southern Cross Living Index
106

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Southern Cross

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,532

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,206

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Southern Cross and in Lisbon

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Southern Cross and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,532 in Southern Cross versus $2,206 in Lisbon.

Southern Cross $2,532
Lisbon $2,206

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,583 in Southern Cross versus $3,276 in Lisbon.

Southern Cross $3,583
Lisbon $3,276

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,635 in Southern Cross versus $4,346 in Lisbon.

Southern Cross $4,635
Lisbon $4,346

Living in Southern Cross is roughly 15% more expensive than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Southern Cross 87% above, Lisbon 63% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.39 A$27.64

$16.86 €14.98

15.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 A$87.2

$61.0 €54.2

0.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.68 A$15.22

$10.98 €9.75

-2.73%

Cappuccino

$3.47 A$4.95

$3.05 €2.71

13.77%

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

$2.40 A$3.42

$2.28 €2.03

5.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 A$2.53

$1.68 €1.49

5.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.93 A$9.88

$3.44 €3.05

101.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.36 A$11.91

$3.91 €3.47

113.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 A$2.26

$1.15 €1.02

37.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 A$3.88

$1.89 €1.68

43.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.22 A$3.17

$1.50 €1.33

48.00%

Eggs

$2.76 A$3.94

$4.12 €3.66

-33.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.26 A$13.20

$13.01 €11.55

-28.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.44 A$13.46

$8.04 €7.15

17.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.66 A$20.90

$17.89 €15.89

-18.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.87 A$5.52

$2.27 €2.02

70.48%

Banana (1kg)

$3.00 A$4.27

$1.74 €1.55

72.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.16 A$4.51

$1.82 €1.62

73.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.63 A$6.61

$2.69 €2.39

72.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.62 A$3.74

$1.77 €1.57

48.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.48

$1.94 €1.72

25.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 A$3.33

$1.46 €1.30

60.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 A$2.21

$0.76 €0.68

103.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$35.49 A$50.6

$6.66 €5.91

432.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.19 A$20.22

$5.64 €5.01

151.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.75 A$6.77

$1.29 €1.15

268.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.35 A$7.63

$2.14 €1.90

150.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.71 A$3.86

$2.30 €2.04

17.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.7 A$122

$44.02 €39.10

94.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 A$5.07

$3.98 €3.54

-10.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 A$2.24

$0.64 €0.57

145.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.44 A$56.2

$18.93 €16.81

108.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 A$1.81

$2.28 €2.02

-44.30%

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

$28.9K A$41.2K

$33.4K €29.6K

-13.34%

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

$26.8K A$38.2K

$38.5K €34.2K

-30.37%

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

$208 A$296

$158 €141

31.36%

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

$27.83 A$39.67

$17.54 €15.58

58.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.5 A$81.9

$31.18 €27.70

84.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.8 A$81.0

$44.64 €39.66

27.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.03 A$25.70

$18.98 €16.86

-5.01%

Cinema Ticket

$14.09 A$20.08

$9.58 €8.51

47.08%

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

$2,165 A$3,087

$674 €598

221.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.6K A$29.4K

$18.7K €16.6K

10.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.2 A$109

$102 €90.8

-25.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 A$79.0

$45.90 €40.77

20.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 A$155

$102 €90.8

6.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 A$174

$122 €108

0.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,377 A$1,964

$1,641 €1,457

-16.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 A$1,749

$1,187 €1,055

3.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,255 A$3,215

$2,825 €2,509

-20.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,829 A$2,608

$2,018 €1,793

-9.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,968 A$8,508

$7,836 €6,960

-23.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,897 A$6,981

$4,701 €4,176

4.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,095 A$10.1K

$1,687 €1,499

320.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.25

3.82

63.61%

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

Last update for Southern Cross: November 1, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Southern Cross

$1.2K 48.5%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8% 3.2% $40

Groceries & Markets

Southern Cross

$359 14.2%

Lisbon

$275 12.5% 23.5% $84

Eating Out

Southern Cross

$297 11.7%

Lisbon

$245 11.1% 17.4% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Southern Cross

$293 11.6%

Lisbon

$207 9.4% 29.4% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Southern Cross

$163 6.4%

Lisbon

$168 7.6% 2.7% $4.4

Getting Around

Southern Cross

$108 4.3%

Lisbon

$60 2.7% 44% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Southern Cross

$85 3.4%

Lisbon

$64 2.9% 24.9% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,377 in Southern Cross and $1,641 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Southern Cross pays about 4.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $61 in Southern Cross vs $61 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $359 vs $275, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Southern Cross

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

05:26 5:26 AM

21:26 9:26 PM

8 h behind Southern Cross

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

700

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.701 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 EUR

1 EUR = 1.13 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.701 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.623 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 0.888 EUR (1 EUR = 1.13 USD).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Southern Cross Lisbon 15,310 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Southern Cross
Lisbon

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Southern Cross vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,532 in Southern Cross and $2,206 in Lisbon, so Lisbon is about 13% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Southern Cross is about 4.2 times higher, 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: $1,377 in Southern Cross versus $1,641 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Southern Cross. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $2,532 per month in Southern Cross versus $2,206 in Lisbon – Lisbon is about 13% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Lisbon gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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, Southern Cross and Lisbon are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Lisbon wins on affordability, Southern Cross on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.