Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Otsu

For one person, living is cheaper in Otsu: $1,297 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon, Portugal
Otsu, Japan
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Otsu
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,297
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Otsu

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 Otsu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,297 in Otsu.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • Otsu $1,297

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $1,890 in Otsu.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • Otsu $1,890

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $2,482 in Otsu.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • Otsu $2,482

Living in Lisbon is roughly 70% more expensive than in Otsu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 62% above, Otsu is 5% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Otsu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.85
$8.43 ¥1,331
97.51%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.1
$31.93 ¥5,043
93.36%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.13
$5.13 ¥810
121.44%
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.65
$3.12 ¥494
-4.81%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.04
$1.18 ¥187
94.07%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.55
$0.90 ¥142
93.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.04
$3.19 ¥504
6.58%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.95
$4.51 ¥712
-26.61%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Otsu
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.03
$1.53 ¥242
-24.18%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.71
$1.55 ¥245
23.23%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.35
$4.52 ¥714
-66.59%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.59
$2.14 ¥338
87.85%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.54
$15.67 ¥2,475
-17.42%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.94
$6.88 ¥1,086
12.94%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.85
$17.21 ¥2,718
3.20%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.06
$4.95 ¥782
-53.54%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.55
$2.49 ¥393
-30.52%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.66
$4.97 ¥785
-62.58%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.31
$4.42 ¥698
-41.40%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.62
$2.20 ¥348
-17.27%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$1.87 ¥295
5.35%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.31
$1.19 ¥187
23.53%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$0.87 ¥137
-17.24%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.87
$3.97 ¥627
65.74%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.00
$9.69 ¥1,530
-42.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$2.06 ¥326
-33.98%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.91
$2.19 ¥345
-2.28%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Otsu
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 €2.08
$1.49 ¥235
56.38%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.68 €39.86
$57.5 ¥9,080
-22.28%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.85 €3.43
$3.26 ¥514
18.10%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.95
$2.85 ¥450
-62.46%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.69
$28.41 ¥4,486
-42.06%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.96
$1.12 ¥177
96.43%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.5K
$22.2K ¥3.5M
54.25%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.5K
$15.3K ¥2.4M
153.72%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Otsu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €144
$118 ¥18.6K
36.96%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.43
$23.18 ¥3,661
-20.58%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.21
$30.70 ¥4,849
6.64%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Otsu
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €39.74
$50.9 ¥8,042
-12.51%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.04
$9.46 ¥1,494
101.90%
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.56
$12.85 ¥2,029
-25.29%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Otsu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €596
$700 ¥110.6K
-4.67%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.7K
$12.6K ¥2.0M
39.75%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Otsu
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.0
$55.5 ¥8,766
83.79%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.67
$36.05 ¥5,693
23.33%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €87.9
$69.5 ¥11.0K
41.76%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €110
$97.1 ¥15.3K
27.32%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Otsu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 €1,435
$443 ¥69.9K
263.27%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,062
$366 ¥57.9K
224.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,812 €2,509
$623 ¥98.4K
351.47%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,013 €1,796
$461 ¥72.9K
336.41%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,839 €6,994
$4,199 ¥663.1K
86.71%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,576 €4,082
$2,274 ¥359.2K
101.19%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Otsu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,405
$1,818 ¥287.0K
-13.34%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
2.1
83.33%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Otsu: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Otsu
$366 69.2% $824
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
Otsu
$332 21.8% $59
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
Otsu
$154 36.7% $89
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
Otsu
$172 19.2% $41
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Otsu
$116 30% $50
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Otsu
$77 20.2% $13
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Otsu
$81 28.1% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $443 in Otsu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Otsu pays 15% 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 $32 in Otsu. Groceries flip the comparison at $272 vs $332, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇯🇵 Otsu
🕒 Local time
16:45 4:45 PM
01:45 1:45 AM
9 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
341,314
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.67 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Otsu 11,060 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Otsu

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 Otsu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Otsu?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $1,297 in Otsu, so Otsu is about 41% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 13% 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 Otsu?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $443 in Otsu. 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 Otsu?
Childcare runs $668 in Lisbon versus $700 in Otsu. 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 18% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city is feasible on a $1,000 budget?
Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Otsu is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Otsu?
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.
Is Lisbon or Otsu safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Otsu are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Lisbon vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?