Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Nara Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Nara

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,269 in Nara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,902 in Nara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $2,536 in Nara.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 81% more expensive than in Nara, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Nara is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$6.92 ¥1,124

133.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$34.80 ¥5,654

81.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$5.65 ¥917

82.65%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$3.12 ¥507

-9.29%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$1.13 ¥184

102.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.73 ¥118

116.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$3.37 ¥548

0.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$3.04 ¥493

32.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$1.60 ¥260

-31.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.42 ¥231

23.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$4.81 ¥782

-63.41%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.43 ¥395

30.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$10.37 ¥1,686

27.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$6.47 ¥1,051

23.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$20.42 ¥3,318

-23.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$3.50 ¥568

-32.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$2.19 ¥355

-21.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$2.61 ¥424

-22.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$4.40 ¥716

-44.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.64 ¥266

7.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.24 ¥202

63.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.38 ¥224

39.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.84 ¥136

1.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$3.53 ¥573

86.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$9.04 ¥1,469

-38.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$2.15 ¥349

-38.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.38 ¥386

24.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$2.19 ¥355

4.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$55.7 ¥9,049

-17.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$3.38 ¥549

25.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$2.90 ¥470

-72.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$17.13 ¥2,782

7.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.23 ¥199

69.11%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$22.7K ¥3.7M

52.62%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$16.8K ¥2.7M

133.65%

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

$148 €130

$131 ¥21.2K

13.21%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$27.56 ¥4,478

-25.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$29.79 ¥4,840

32.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$80.9 ¥13.1K

-40.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

$8.17 ¥1,327

127.66%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$12.27 ¥1,993

-24.86%

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

$616 €540

$68.5 ¥11.1K

800.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$10.5K ¥1.7M

56.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$44.58 ¥7,243

130.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$29.03 ¥4,717

43.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$56.8 ¥9,226

66.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$90.3 ¥14.7K

35.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$434 ¥70.5K

276.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$369 ¥60.0K

233.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$623 ¥101.2K

397.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$546 ¥88.7K

272.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$2,685 ¥436.3K

191.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$1,939 ¥315.0K

126.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$1,119 ¥181.9K

43.58%

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 Nara: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $434 in Nara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 44% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $35.00 in Nara. Groceries flip the comparison at $267 vs $303, 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 Nara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Nara differ by about 81% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,269 including rent). Nara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 44% higher in Lisbon, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $434 in Nara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $68.5 in Nara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 14% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,269 in Nara versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Nara but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Nara 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, Lisbon and Nara 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 Nara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 81% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.