Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Okinawa

For one person, living is cheaper in Okinawa: $1,388 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Lisbon, Portugal
Okinawa, Japan
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Okinawa
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,388
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Okinawa

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Okinawa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,388 in Okinawa.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • Okinawa $1,388

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $2,184 in Okinawa.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • Okinawa $2,184

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $2,980 in Okinawa.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • Okinawa $2,980

Living in Lisbon is roughly 59% more expensive than in Okinawa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Okinawa 2% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Okinawa
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.95
$10.12 ¥1,598
64.53%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.5
$40.24 ¥6,353
53.43%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.20
$7.04 ¥1,112
61.36%
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.67
$4.11 ¥649
-27.74%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.06
$1.40 ¥221
63.57%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.56
$0.92 ¥145
89.13%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.06
$2.51 ¥396
35.46%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.97
$5.27 ¥832
-37.19%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Okinawa
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.04
$1.58 ¥249
-26.58%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.72
$2.05 ¥324
-6.83%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.36
$3.76 ¥594
-59.84%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.61
$1.84 ¥290
118.48%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.62
$17.99 ¥2,841
-28.07%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.98
$4.79 ¥757
62.21%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.95
$22.45 ¥3,545
-20.89%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.07
$3.81 ¥602
-39.63%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.56
$2.62 ¥413
-33.97%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.67
$2.20 ¥347
-15.45%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.33
$5.26 ¥831
-50.76%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.64
$2.39 ¥377
-23.85%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.77
$2.56 ¥404
-23.05%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.32
$1.28 ¥201
14.84%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$0.77 ¥122
-6.49%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.91
$3.90 ¥617
68.72%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.04
$6.40 ¥1,011
-12.34%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$1.95 ¥308
-30.26%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.92
$3.34 ¥528
-35.93%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Okinawa
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 €2.10
$1.44 ¥227
61.81%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.68 €40.14
$65.1 ¥10.3K
-31.37%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.85 €3.46
$3.82 ¥603
0.79%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.96
$3.54 ¥559
-69.77%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.79
$11.23 ¥1,772
46.57%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.98
$1.11 ¥175
98.20%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.7K
$20.9K ¥3.3M
63.45%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.8K
$15.5K ¥2.5M
149.16%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Okinawa
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €145
$163 ¥25.7K
-0.95%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.54
$25.35 ¥4,003
-27.38%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.41
$53.1 ¥8,379
-38.31%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Okinawa
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €40.02
$73.0 ¥11.5K
-38.99%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.16
$54.9 ¥8,670
-65.22%
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.62
$11.98 ¥1,892
-19.87%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Okinawa
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €600
$327 ¥51.7K
103.93%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.8K
$5,668 ¥894.9K
210.78%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Okinawa
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.6
$48.88 ¥7,718
108.72%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.94
$23.35 ¥3,687
90.41%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €88.5
$81.2 ¥12.8K
21.29%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$95.7 ¥15.1K
29.28%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Okinawa
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 €1,445
$411 ¥64.9K
291.07%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,069
$332 ¥52.4K
258.60%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,812 €2,526
$852 ¥134.6K
229.97%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,013 €1,808
$678 ¥107.0K
196.92%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,839 €7,042
$8,422 ¥1.3M
-6.92%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,576 €4,110
$1,185 ¥187.1K
286.16%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Okinawa
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,415
$1,798 ¥283.8K
-12.38%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
2.23
72.65%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Okinawa: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Okinawa
$332 72.1% $858
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
Okinawa
$330 21.1% $57
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
Okinawa
$184 24.2% $59
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
Okinawa
$241 13.6% $29
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Okinawa
$112 32.4% $54
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Okinawa
$97 52.2% $33
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Okinawa
$92 46.2% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $411 in Okinawa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Okinawa pays 14% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $40 in Okinawa. Groceries flip the comparison at $272 vs $330, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇯🇵 Okinawa
🕒 Local time
23:45 11:45 PM
08:45 8:45 AM
9 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
142,752
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.69 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Okinawa 11,500 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Okinawa

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Okinawa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Okinawa?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $1,388 in Okinawa, so Okinawa is about 37% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 12% lower in Lisbon. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Lisbon and in Okinawa?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $411 in Okinawa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Lisbon and Okinawa?
Childcare runs $668 in Lisbon versus $327 in Okinawa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 17% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Where should families live: Lisbon or Okinawa?
For families, Okinawa is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lisbon, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Is Lisbon or Okinawa safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Okinawa are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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