Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Saitama Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Saitama

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,126 in Saitama.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,821 in Saitama.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $2,516 in Saitama.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 96% more expensive than Saitama, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Saitama is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$6.06 ¥969

162.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$33.98 ¥5,435

90.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$4.78 ¥764

119.87%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$3.04 ¥487

-5.59%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.75 ¥120

198.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.69 ¥111

117.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$2.02 ¥324

72.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$3.13 ¥501

23.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.58 ¥252

-27.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.67 ¥268

4.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$3.03 ¥485

-41.91%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.24 ¥358

43.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.62

$10.28 ¥1,644

31.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$6.14 ¥983

28.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$15.59 ¥2,494

1.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$5.89 ¥941

-60.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.34 ¥215

26.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$3.91 ¥626

-48.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$5.90 ¥943

-58.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$3.23 ¥516

-43.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.71 ¥273

16.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.35 ¥216

42.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.88 ¥141

-10.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$4.13 ¥660

60.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$8.49 ¥1,358

-32.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.84 ¥295

-25.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.14 ¥342

38.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.62 ¥259

46.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.23

$56.5 ¥9,029

-19.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$3.44 ¥550

24.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$2.96 ¥473

-72.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$22.04 ¥3,526

-16.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.24 ¥198

66.13%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$23.1K ¥3.7M

48.51%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$18.8K ¥3.0M

108.51%

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

$148 €127

$144 ¥23.0K

2.71%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$19.50 ¥3,119

5.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.11

$33.90 ¥5,423

16.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.20

$67.8 ¥10.8K

-29.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$14.10 ¥2,255

34.18%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$12.14 ¥1,942

-24.38%

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

$614 €529

$276 ¥44.2K

122.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$13.7K ¥2.2M

17.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$38.62 ¥6,177

171.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.22

$27.40 ¥4,382

53.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$60.2 ¥9,629

56.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$69.5 ¥11.1K

72.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,402

$429 ¥68.6K

279.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$255 ¥40.8K

391.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$858 ¥137.2K

253.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,740

$660 ¥105.6K

205.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,716

$4,524 ¥723.6K

72.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,679

$2,701 ¥432.1K

58.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,381

$1,535 ¥245.5K

4.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

1.86

104.84%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Saitama: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $429 in Saitama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 4% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $34.00 in Saitama. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $304, 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 Saitama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Saitama differ by about 96% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,126 including rent). Saitama is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 4% more on average, 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $429 in Saitama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $276 in Saitama. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 13% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,126 in Saitama versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Saitama but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Saitama 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 Saitama 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 Saitama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 96% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.