Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Okinawa Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Okinawa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $1,436 in Okinawa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $2,236 in Okinawa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $3,037 in Okinawa.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 58% more expensive than in Okinawa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 64% above, Okinawa 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$10.17 ¥1,562

72.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$42.22 ¥6,483

52.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$7.25 ¥1,113

60.69%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$4.20 ¥644

-22.38%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$1.52 ¥233

63.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.97 ¥149

72.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$2.11 ¥324

64.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$4.62 ¥709

-22.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.66 ¥256

-28.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$2.10 ¥322

-7.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$4.00 ¥615

-61.00%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$1.87 ¥288

114.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$18.33 ¥2,815

-27.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$5.08 ¥781

65.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$22.99 ¥3,531

-20.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$3.76 ¥577

-38.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$2.68 ¥412

-35.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$2.27 ¥349

-14.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$5.38 ¥827

-50.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$2.55 ¥391

-25.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$2.53 ¥388

-16.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.34 ¥205

7.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.81 ¥125

-1.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$3.99 ¥612

75.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$6.33 ¥972

-6.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$2.01 ¥309

-32.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$3.43 ¥527

-37.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$1.51 ¥232

57.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

$67.6 ¥10.4K

-31.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$3.79 ¥582

10.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$3.47 ¥532

-68.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$11.86 ¥1,821

45.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.14 ¥175

97.37%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$21.7K ¥3.3M

58.64%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$15.5K ¥2.4M

168.18%

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

$171 €147

$166 ¥25.5K

2.93%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$25.25 ¥3,877

-24.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$54.3 ¥8,344

-36.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$73.6 ¥11.3K

-32.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$57.5 ¥8,832

-66.08%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$12.27 ¥1,885

-17.69%

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

$699 €603

$346 ¥53.1K

102.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$5,652 ¥867.9K

214.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$50.8 ¥7,795

106.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$24.35 ¥3,739

97.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$84.1 ¥12.9K

21.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$97.5 ¥15.0K

31.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$409 ¥62.9K

305.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$331 ¥50.9K

270.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$862 ¥132.4K

238.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$698 ¥107.2K

189.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$8,819 ¥1.4M

-7.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$1,241 ¥190.5K

273.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$1,890 ¥290.2K

-14.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

2.23

69.51%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Okinawa: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $409 in Okinawa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Okinawa pays 17% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $42.00 in Okinawa. Groceries flip the comparison at $281 vs $339, 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 Okinawa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Okinawa differ by about 58% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $1,436 including rent). Okinawa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 17% lower in Okinawa. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $409 in Okinawa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $346 in Okinawa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 20% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,436 in Okinawa versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Okinawa but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Okinawa 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 Okinawa 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 Okinawa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.