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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,223 in Kobe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,896 in Kobe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $2,570 in Kobe.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 87% more expensive than in Kobe, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Kobe is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$8.47 ¥1,377

91.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$28.16 ¥4,576

124.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$4.95 ¥804

108.48%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$3.03 ¥492

-6.60%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$0.99 ¥162

131.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.76 ¥123

107.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$2.48 ¥403

37.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$3.15 ¥512

27.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$1.62 ¥263

-32.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.27 ¥207

37.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$4.85 ¥788

-63.71%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$1.61 ¥262

96.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$13.71 ¥2,227

-3.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$7.51 ¥1,220

6.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$15.25 ¥2,478

1.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$8.97 ¥1,457

-73.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$2.91 ¥472

-41.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$4.83 ¥785

-58.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$9.53 ¥1,549

-74.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$3.90 ¥634

-54.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.63 ¥428

-22.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.33 ¥216

44.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.37 ¥223

-37.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$3.52 ¥571

86.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$7.92 ¥1,287

-29.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$2.76 ¥448

-51.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.36 ¥384

25.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$1.48 ¥240

54.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$38.41 ¥6,240

19.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$3.53 ¥573

19.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$1.35 ¥219

-40.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$17.46 ¥2,836

5.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.22 ¥198

70.49%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$22.3K ¥3.6M

55.51%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$14.6K ¥2.4M

167.96%

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

$148 €130

$141 ¥23.0K

4.73%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$26.68 ¥4,335

-23.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$34.35 ¥5,581

15.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$48.51 ¥7,882

-1.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

$20.94 ¥3,403

-11.17%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$12.50 ¥2,031

-26.24%

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

$616 €540

$350 ¥56.9K

75.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$11.2K ¥1.8M

47.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$46.02 ¥7,477

123.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$32.30 ¥5,248

29.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$40.98 ¥6,659

131.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$49.49 ¥8,041

146.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$486 ¥79.0K

235.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$316 ¥51.4K

289.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$701 ¥113.9K

341.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$598 ¥97.1K

239.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$4,228 ¥687.0K

85.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$2,856 ¥464.1K

53.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$1,739 ¥282.5K

-7.57%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Kobe: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $486 in Kobe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kobe pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $28.00 in Kobe. Groceries flip the comparison at $267 vs $382, 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 87% 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, salaries run 8% lower in Kobe. 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $486 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 $616 in Lisbon versus $350 in Kobe. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,223 in Kobe versus $2,291 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 $1,223 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 87% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.