Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between St John and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in St John: $320 a month against $2,202 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $22,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
Learn more

Lisbon Living Index

Jump to prices

St John

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$320

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in St John 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 St John and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $320 in St John versus $2,202 in Lisbon.

St John $320
Lisbon $2,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $926 in St John versus $3,274 in Lisbon.

St John $926
Lisbon $3,274

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,533 in St John versus $4,346 in Lisbon.

St John $1,533
Lisbon $4,346

Living in St John costs roughly 85% less than in Lisbon.

The two cities straddle the global median: St John is 76% below, Lisbon is 62% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.79 $19.79

$17.04 €15.21

16.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$176 $176

$62.3 €55.6

182.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 €9.83

Cappuccino

$7.03 $7.03

$3.12 €2.79

125.32%

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

$3.07 $3.07

$2.27 €2.02

35.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.74 €1.56

14.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.23 $8.23

$3.42 €3.06

140.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.88 $7.88

$3.74 €3.34

110.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.05

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.66

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 €1.38

Eggs

$4.06 €3.63

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.91 €11.53

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.05

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.64 €15.75

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 €2.02

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.56

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 €1.69

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.28

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 €1.65

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.29

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 €0.69

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.71 €5.99

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €5.06

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.22

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.89

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 €2.07

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.43 €39.65

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.95 €3.52

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 €0.94

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.15 €15.31

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 $1.57

$2.19 €1.96

-28.31%

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

$33.8K €30.2K

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

$38.3K €34.2K

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

$164 €146

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

$18.48 €16.49

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.96 €29.42

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.87 €40.93

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.68 €16.67

Cinema Ticket

$9.75 €8.70

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

$684 €611

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K $13.5K

$17.6K €15.7K

-23.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €92.6

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.20 €41.23

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.7 €89.0

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €111

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 €1,418

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 €1,043

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,851 €2,544

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,993 €1,779

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.7K $12.7K

$7,793 €6,955

63.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,418 €3,943

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,157 $5,157

$1,600 €1,428

222.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.05

3.85

83.12%

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

Last update for St John: October 18, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

St John

–

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1%

Groceries & Markets

St John

–

Lisbon

$273 12.4%

Eating Out

St John

–

Lisbon

$247 11.2%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

St John

–

Lisbon

$215 9.8%

Clothing & Footwear

St John

–

Lisbon

$168 7.7%

Sport & Entertainment

St John

–

Lisbon

$65 3%

Getting Around

St John

–

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Cost Breakdown

St John pays about 3.2 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out at a mid-range restaurant: $176 in St John vs $62 in Lisbon for two.

Good to know

🇻🇮 St John

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

13:58 1:58 PM

17:58 5:58 PM

4 h ahead of St John

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,743

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

St John Lisbon 5,790 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

St John
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

St John vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

St John and Lisbon differ by about 588% in total monthly costs ($320 vs $2,202 including rent). St John is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in St John is about 3.2 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Dining out is cheaper in Lisbon – a meal for two runs $62 versus $176 in St John. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $320 per month in St John versus $2,202 in Lisbon – a 588% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $320 in St John versus $2,202 in Lisbon, a $1,200 budget is realistic in St John but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes St John 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, St John 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.