Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Niigata Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Niigata

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,122 in Niigata.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,852 in Niigata.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $2,581 in Niigata.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 97% more expensive than Niigata, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Niigata is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$5.65 ¥904

181.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$48.78 ¥7,803

32.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$5.49 ¥878

91.44%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.06 ¥330

39.32%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$1.21 ¥193

85.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.79 ¥126

89.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$2.82 ¥451

23.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$3.44 ¥551

12.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.31 ¥210

-12.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.20 ¥192

45.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$3.35 ¥536

-47.46%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.42 ¥387

33.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.62

$7.76 ¥1,241

73.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$5.94 ¥950

33.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$22.94 ¥3,670

-30.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$4.06 ¥649

-43.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$2.57 ¥411

-33.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$3.16 ¥506

-36.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.98 ¥477

-17.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$2.27 ¥363

-18.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$2.26 ¥362

-11.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.04 ¥166

85.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.83 ¥133

-4.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$4.01 ¥642

64.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$4.27 ¥682

33.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.91 ¥306

-28.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.72 ¥436

9.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.84 ¥294

28.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.23

$55.0 ¥8,798

-17.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$2.89 ¥462

48.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$2.77 ¥443

-70.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$20.54 ¥3,285

-10.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.22 ¥194

68.85%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$16.2K ¥2.6M

111.99%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$15.9K ¥2.5M

147.28%

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

$148 €127

$162 ¥26.0K

-8.98%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$26.95 ¥4,310

-23.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.11

$33.37 ¥5,337

18.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.20

$60.1 ¥9,609

-20.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$10.25 ¥1,640

84.59%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$13.02 ¥2,082

-29.49%

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

$614 €529

$86.1 ¥13.8K

613.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$15.5K ¥2.5M

3.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$41.76 ¥6,679

150.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.22

$21.15 ¥3,384

98.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$37.60 ¥6,014

149.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$56.9 ¥9,097

110.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,402

$388 ¥62.1K

319.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$279 ¥44.7K

349.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$851 ¥136.0K

256.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,740

$665 ¥106.4K

203.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,716

$4,514 ¥722.1K

72.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,679

$2,332 ¥373.0K

83.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,381

$1,234 ¥197.5K

29.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

1.24

207.26%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Niigata: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $388 in Niigata. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 30% 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 $49.00 in Niigata. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $282, 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 Niigata: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Niigata differ by about 97% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,122 including rent). Niigata is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 30% 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 $388 in Niigata. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $86.1 in Niigata. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,122 in Niigata versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Niigata but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Niigata 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 Niigata 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 Niigata gentler on the wallet – expenses run 97% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.