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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,284 in Nara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,928 in Nara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $2,572 in Nara.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 72% more expensive than Nara, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Nara is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$6.77 ¥1,082

135.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$34.37 ¥5,498

88.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$5.66 ¥905

85.69%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$3.03 ¥484

-5.28%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$1.09 ¥174

105.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.72 ¥115

108.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$3.40 ¥544

2.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$3.21 ¥514

20.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.53 ¥244

-25.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.50 ¥240

16.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$4.63 ¥740

-61.99%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.46 ¥393

30.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.62

$10.63 ¥1,700

26.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$6.34 ¥1,014

24.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$20.80 ¥3,326

-23.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$3.66 ¥586

-36.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$2.18 ¥349

-22.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.52 ¥404

-20.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$4.32 ¥691

-43.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.73 ¥276

6.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.29 ¥206

55.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.37 ¥219

40.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.90 ¥144

-12.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$3.38 ¥541

95.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$9.36 ¥1,496

-38.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$2.06 ¥330

-33.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.36 ¥378

25.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.24 ¥358

5.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.23

$56.2 ¥8,987

-18.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$3.41 ¥546

25.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$2.95 ¥472

-72.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$17.42 ¥2,786

5.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.19 ¥190

73.11%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$23.1K ¥3.7M

48.10%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$17.1K ¥2.7M

130.44%

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

$148 €127

$135 ¥21.6K

9.73%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$27.21 ¥4,352

-24.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.11

$30.70 ¥4,910

29.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.20

$81.2 ¥13.0K

-41.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$8.21 ¥1,313

130.45%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$12.41 ¥1,985

-26.03%

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

$614 €529

$69.9 ¥11.2K

778.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$10.3K ¥1.6M

56.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$44.02 ¥7,040

137.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.22

$29.28 ¥4,683

43.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$55.6 ¥8,900

68.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$90.8 ¥14.5K

31.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,402

$435 ¥69.5K

274.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$370 ¥59.1K

239.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$624 ¥99.9K

385.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,740

$554 ¥88.6K

264.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,716

$2,724 ¥435.7K

186.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,679

$1,984 ¥317.3K

115.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,381

$1,131 ¥180.9K

41.74%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Nara: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $435 in Nara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 42% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $34.00 in Nara. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $305, 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 72% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,284 including rent). Nara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 42% more on average, 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $435 in Nara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $69.9 in Nara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 13% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,284 in Nara versus $2,210 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 72% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.