Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Kyoto Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Kyoto

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,296 per month in Lisbon vs $1,256 in Kyoto, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,376 per month in Lisbon vs $2,012 in Kyoto, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,457 per month in Lisbon vs $2,768 in Kyoto, rent included.

Lisbon costs about 83% more than Kyoto, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Lisbon sits 68% above the global median, while Kyoto is 8% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$9.70 ¥1,513

81.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$32.58 ¥5,083

92.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$5.12 ¥799

126.17%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$3.46 ¥539

-10.40%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$0.91 ¥141

173.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.70 ¥110

148.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$3.19 ¥497

9.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$5.71 ¥892

-39.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.61 ¥251

-28.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.65 ¥257

15.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$5.86 ¥915

-74.40%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$2.11 ¥330

88.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$8.98 ¥1,401

48.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$6.30 ¥983

27.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

$11.46 ¥1,789

57.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$5.04 ¥786

-53.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$2.32 ¥362

-24.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$5.21 ¥813

-64.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$3.76 ¥587

-32.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$1.95 ¥305

-5.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$1.77 ¥277

18.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$1.20 ¥188

24.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.95 ¥148

-13.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$4.08 ¥637

74.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$7.60 ¥1,185

-22.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$1.65 ¥257

-20.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$3.49 ¥545

-38.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$1.51 ¥236

56.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

$64.1 ¥10.0K

-27.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$3.36 ¥524

21.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$3.97 ¥620

-71.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

$29.26 ¥4,566

-41.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.09 ¥170

111.93%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$22.1K ¥3.5M

54.25%

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

$41.4K €36.1K

$15.5K ¥2.4M

167.41%

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

$169 €147

$106 ¥16.5K

59.04%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$24.10 ¥3,760

-19.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$31.68 ¥4,942

5.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

$54.0 ¥8,421

-9.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

$19.70 ¥3,074

-1.37%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$12.56 ¥1,960

-23.81%

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

$696 €607

$677 ¥105.7K

2.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$6,706 ¥1.0M

158.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$58.0 ¥9,052

81.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$46.81 ¥7,304

2.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$71.4 ¥11.1K

40.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$106 ¥16.5K

17.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

$578 ¥90.2K

187.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$334 ¥52.1K

273.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

$1,813 ¥282.9K

63.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

$796 ¥124.1K

157.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

$2,264 ¥353.2K

246.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

$1,272 ¥198.5K

250.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

$1,968 ¥307.0K

-17.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

2.23

69.51%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Kyoto: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,662 in Lisbon versus $578 in Kyoto. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 21% higher in Kyoto, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63.0 in Lisbon versus $33.00 in Kyoto. Groceries tell a different story – $277 in Lisbon vs $292 in Kyoto – so Lisbon wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Kyoto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,296 in Lisbon, $1,256 in Kyoto – roughly 83% apart. Lisbon costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,444 per month in Lisbon and $1,885 in Kyoto. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kyoto, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 5% cheaper in Lisbon – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63.0 in Lisbon and $33.00 in Kyoto. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Kyoto, where all-in costs run around $1,256, than in Lisbon at $2,296. In Kyoto it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Lisbon has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,256 in Kyoto to $2,296 in Lisbon. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Kyoto. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lisbon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.