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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,113 in Niigata.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,838 in Niigata.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $2,564 in Niigata.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 106% more expensive than in Niigata, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Niigata is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$5.47 ¥889

195.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$49.22 ¥7,997

28.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$5.66 ¥920

82.33%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$2.05 ¥334

38.05%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$1.22 ¥198

87.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.74 ¥119

113.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$2.70 ¥438

25.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$3.40 ¥552

18.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$1.33 ¥215

-18.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.18 ¥191

48.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$3.43 ¥558

-48.69%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.34 ¥380

35.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$7.58 ¥1,231

74.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$5.74 ¥933

38.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$22.97 ¥3,732

-32.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$4.07 ¥662

-41.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$2.55 ¥415

-32.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$3.13 ¥509

-35.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$2.85 ¥464

-14.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.38 ¥387

-26.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.20 ¥357

-7.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.03 ¥168

86.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.86 ¥139

-1.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$4.11 ¥667

60.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$4.39 ¥713

27.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.97 ¥320

-32.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.74 ¥444

8.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$1.78 ¥289

28.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$56.0 ¥9,104

-18.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$2.76 ¥449

53.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$2.78 ¥451

-70.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$20.48 ¥3,327

-9.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.16 ¥189

79.31%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$16.0K ¥2.6M

117.34%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$15.7K ¥2.6M

149.28%

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

$148 €130

$164 ¥26.6K

-9.70%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$26.91 ¥4,372

-23.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$32.99 ¥5,359

19.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$60.4 ¥9,816

-20.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

$10.31 ¥1,675

80.41%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$13.24 ¥2,151

-30.36%

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

$616 €540

$85.4 ¥13.9K

621.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$15.4K ¥2.5M

6.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$41.58 ¥6,756

146.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$20.71 ¥3,365

101.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$38.85 ¥6,312

143.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$56.8 ¥9,227

114.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$384 ¥62.4K

325.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$279 ¥45.3K

341.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$851 ¥138.3K

264.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$663 ¥107.7K

206.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$4,134 ¥671.8K

89.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$2,143 ¥348.2K

104.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$1,245 ¥202.3K

29.07%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Niigata: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $384 in Niigata. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 29% 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 $49.00 in Niigata. Groceries flip the comparison at $267 vs $281, 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 106% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,113 including rent). Niigata is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 29% 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 $384 in Niigata. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $85.4 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 $1,113 in Niigata versus $2,291 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 106% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.