Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Kobe Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Kobe

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,258 in Kobe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,901 in Kobe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $2,545 in Kobe.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 76% more expensive than Kobe, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Kobe is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$8.49 ¥1,358

87.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$27.56 ¥4,409

135.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$4.72 ¥756

122.67%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$3.07 ¥491

-6.51%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.99 ¥159

126.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.70 ¥112

114.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$2.37 ¥379

47.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$3.09 ¥494

25.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.62 ¥259

-29.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.28 ¥204

36.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$4.73 ¥756

-62.79%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$1.67 ¥267

92.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.62

$13.98 ¥2,236

-3.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$7.68 ¥1,228

2.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$15.15 ¥2,424

4.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$9.17 ¥1,467

-74.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$2.79 ¥445

-39.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$4.72 ¥755

-57.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$9.50 ¥1,520

-74.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$3.95 ¥632

-53.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$2.54 ¥407

-21.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.33 ¥212

45.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$1.43 ¥228

-44.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$3.54 ¥566

86.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$8.34 ¥1,335

-31.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$2.76 ¥441

-50.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.29 ¥367

29.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.44 ¥230

64.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.23

$38.33 ¥6,130

18.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$3.57 ¥571

20.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.29 ¥206

-36.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$17.35 ¥2,775

5.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.19 ¥190

73.11%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$21.6K ¥3.5M

58.46%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$14.3K ¥2.3M

174.08%

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

$148 €127

$142 ¥22.7K

4.18%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$27.24 ¥4,358

-24.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.11

$34.52 ¥5,521

14.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.20

$46.92 ¥7,505

1.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$20.89 ¥3,342

-9.43%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$12.35 ¥1,975

-25.67%

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

$614 €529

$360 ¥57.6K

70.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$11.5K ¥1.8M

39.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$46.65 ¥7,461

124.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.22

$32.12 ¥5,137

30.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$40.55 ¥6,487

131.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$47.69 ¥7,628

150.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,402

$481 ¥77.0K

238.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$310 ¥49.7K

304.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$691 ¥110.5K

338.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,740

$590 ¥94.3K

242.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,716

$4,360 ¥697.4K

78.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,679

$2,851 ¥456.0K

49.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,381

$1,769 ¥283.0K

-9.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

1.78

114.04%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Kobe: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $481 in Kobe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kobe pays 10% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $28.00 in Kobe. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $384, 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

Lisbon vs Kobe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kobe wins on cost – living expenses run 76% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kobe the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Kobe earns 10% 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $481 in Kobe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kobe runs roughly 19% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $360 in Kobe. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,258 in Kobe versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kobe but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Kobe the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kobe delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,258 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kobe hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Kobe 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 Kobe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 76% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.