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: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $1,327 in Kobe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $2,001 in Kobe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $2,675 in Kobe.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 74% more expensive than in Kobe, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Kobe is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.89

$7.59 ¥1,186

127.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$31.22 ¥4,877

102.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.80

$4.92 ¥768

131.50%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.75

$2.39 ¥373

33.47%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$1.18 ¥184

107.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.61 ¥95.2

188.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$1.99 ¥311

80.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$2.26 ¥354

50.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.50 ¥234

-17.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.25 ¥196

58.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$4.21 ¥657

-63.90%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.48

$2.00 ¥313

102.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.65

$12.31 ¥1,923

9.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.22

$6.71 ¥1,048

25.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.70

$16.76 ¥2,618

8.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$7.88 ¥1,231

-70.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$3.06 ¥478

-43.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$4.84 ¥756

-61.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$7.57 ¥1,183

-65.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$3.64 ¥569

-47.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$3.41 ¥532

-38.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.16 ¥181

24.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$0.94 ¥147

-10.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$3.45 ¥539

96.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$8.22 ¥1,284

-30.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.99 ¥311

-30.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$1.49 ¥233

48.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$1.47 ¥229

63.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.25

$62.1 ¥9,705

-24.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$3.20 ¥499

30.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$3.10 ¥484

-63.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.21

$26.70 ¥4,171

-33.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.05 ¥164

120.95%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$20.0K ¥3.1M

76.88%

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

$41.4K €35.7K

$15.2K ¥2.4M

173.17%

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

$170 €147

$117 ¥18.2K

46.02%

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

$19.34 €16.64

$22.98 ¥3,589

-15.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.95

$31.37 ¥4,901

7.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.39

$46.74 ¥7,302

2.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.12

$11.48 ¥1,793

73.34%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.54

$11.27 ¥1,761

-11.98%

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

$717 €617

$319 ¥49.8K

124.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$6,068 ¥947.9K

188.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$48.89 ¥7,638

114.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.40

$25.13 ¥3,925

86.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.0

$46.37 ¥7,244

123.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$65.3 ¥10.2K

89.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,443

$693 ¥108.3K

141.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,094

$460 ¥71.8K

176.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,568

$1,054 ¥164.6K

183.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,715

$732 ¥114.3K

172.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,734

$4,301 ¥672.0K

81.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,008

$2,859 ¥446.6K

62.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,362

$1,736 ¥271.3K

-8.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

1.66

128.31%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Kobe: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $693 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $31.00 in Kobe. Groceries flip the comparison at $283 vs $351, 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 74% 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 10% 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: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $693 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 33% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $717 in Lisbon versus $319 in Kobe. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,327 in Kobe versus $2,316 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 $1,327 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 74% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.