Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sa Pa Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sa Pa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $738 in Sa Pa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $1,186 in Sa Pa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $1,633 in Sa Pa.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 211% more expensive than in Sa Pa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Sa Pa is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.31

$1.88 ₫48.9K

835.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.7

$21.04 ₫547.4K

198.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.08

$4.63 ₫120.5K

150.11%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$1.79 ₫46.6K

73.18%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$0.47 ₫12.3K

429.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.30 ₫7,823

480.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$0.91 ₫23.7K

282.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$1.57 ₫40.7K

119.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.41 ₫36.7K

-18.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$0.94 ₫24.5K

103.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.01 ₫26.2K

48.51%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$1.42 ₫36.9K

180.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.57

$11.86 ₫308.6K

12.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.97

$3.69 ₫95.9K

117.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.70

$9.96 ₫259.2K

81.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$2.70 ₫70.2K

-12.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.52

$1.05 ₫27.4K

66.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$1.34 ₫34.8K

38.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$1.08 ₫28.1K

136.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.60

$1.07 ₫27.7K

71.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$1.01 ₫26.2K

107.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.29

$0.70 ₫18.2K

112.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.52 ₫13.5K

57.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.18

$1.31 ₫34.2K

441.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.14

$11.22 ₫292.0K

-47.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.14

$0.78 ₫20.4K

67.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.85

$1.60 ₫41.7K

33.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$0.32 ₫8,219

637.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.57

$6.39 ₫166.2K

629.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$0.66 ₫17.1K

518.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.65 ₫16.9K

75.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.88

$2.73 ₫71.1K

526.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$0.83 ₫21.6K

178.31%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$35.2K ₫915.6M

-3.02%

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

$41.4K €36.0K

$31.9K ₫831.1M

29.54%

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

$169 €147

$76.6 ₫2.0M

120.07%

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

$19.33 €16.82

$5.78 ₫150.4K

234.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.17

$8.92 ₫232.1K

275.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.50

$21.54 ₫560.4K

126.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.91

$7.49 ₫194.8K

159.41%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.33

$3.08 ₫80.3K

210.71%

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

$696 €606

$269 ₫7.0M

158.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$11.8K ₫305.9M

47.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.6

$40.16 ₫1.0M

162.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.56

$22.75 ₫591.9K

109.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.5

$87.2 ₫2.3M

15.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$73.9 ₫1.9M

68.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,446

$352 ₫9.2M

372.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,085

$243 ₫6.3M

412.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,580

$736 ₫19.1M

303.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,783

$545 ₫14.2M

276.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,818

$2,137 ₫55.6M

266.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,885

$1,228 ₫31.9M

263.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,420

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

9.1

-58.46%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Sa Pa: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $352 in Sa Pa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $21.00 in Sa Pa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $192 per month, with Sa Pa cheaper across the board.

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 Sa Pa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Sa Pa differ by about 211% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $738 including rent). Sa Pa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,444 in Lisbon and $1,107 in Sa Pa to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $352 in Sa Pa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $269 in Sa Pa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 45% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $738 in Sa Pa versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sa Pa but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Sa Pa 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 Sa Pa 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 Sa Pa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 211% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.