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: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $1,245 in Nara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $1,877 in Nara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $2,509 in Nara.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 84% more expensive than in Nara, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Nara is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$6.34 ¥990

177.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$31.85 ¥4,970

97.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$5.00 ¥780

131.60%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.50 ¥390

24.00%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$1.28 ¥199

94.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.75 ¥117

132.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$3.17 ¥495

9.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$3.21 ¥501

7.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.56 ¥243

-26.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.36 ¥213

40.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$4.17 ¥651

-64.03%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$2.20 ¥343

80.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$9.68 ¥1,511

37.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$7.31 ¥1,141

9.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

$18.41 ¥2,872

-2.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$3.36 ¥524

-30.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$2.06 ¥321

-15.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$2.05 ¥321

-9.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$4.16 ¥650

-38.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$1.58 ¥247

16.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$1.14 ¥179

84.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$1.15 ¥180

29.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.86 ¥134

-4.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$4.09 ¥638

73.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$9.52 ¥1,485

-37.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$1.91 ¥298

-31.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.24 ¥349

-4.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$1.58 ¥246

49.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

$73.3 ¥11.4K

-36.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$3.15 ¥491

29.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$2.95 ¥461

-61.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

$16.47 ¥2,570

3.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.13 ¥176

104.42%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$22.1K ¥3.5M

54.31%

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

$41.4K €36.1K

$15.4K ¥2.4M

167.96%

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

$169 €147

$120 ¥18.7K

40.90%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$24.93 ¥3,889

-22.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$31.68 ¥4,944

5.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

$83.7 ¥13.1K

-41.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

$7.61 ¥1,187

155.32%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$12.23 ¥1,908

-21.75%

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

$696 €607

$527 ¥82.2K

32.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$13.6K ¥2.1M

27.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$48.97 ¥7,640

115.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$31.81 ¥4,963

50.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$61.2 ¥9,540

64.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$92.0 ¥14.4K

35.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

$420 ¥65.5K

296.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$349 ¥54.4K

257.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

$854 ¥133.3K

246.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

$541 ¥84.4K

278.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

$2,813 ¥439.0K

178.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

$2,063 ¥322.0K

116.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

$1,159 ¥180.9K

40.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

2.01

88.06%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Nara: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $420 in Nara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 41% 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 $32.00 in Nara. Groceries flip the comparison at $277 vs $289, 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 84% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $1,245 including rent). Nara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 41% 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $420 in Nara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $527 in Nara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,245 in Nara versus $2,296 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 84% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.