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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,127 in Saitama.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,830 in Saitama.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $2,533 in Saitama.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 103% more expensive than in Saitama, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Saitama is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$5.87 ¥955

175.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$34.39 ¥5,590

84.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$4.98 ¥810

107.23%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$3.08 ¥500

-8.12%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$0.71 ¥115

222.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.74 ¥121

113.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$2.03 ¥329

67.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$3.04 ¥495

32.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.51 ¥245

-27.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.66 ¥270

5.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.94 ¥477

-40.14%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.23 ¥363

42.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$10.20 ¥1,658

29.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$5.91 ¥960

34.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$15.52 ¥2,523

0.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$5.95 ¥968

-60.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.34 ¥218

27.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$3.90 ¥634

-48.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$5.91 ¥960

-58.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$3.24 ¥526

-45.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.76 ¥286

15.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.34 ¥218

43.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.81 ¥132

4.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$4.06 ¥660

62.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$8.17 ¥1,328

-31.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.77 ¥287

-24.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.03 ¥329

46.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$1.68 ¥273

35.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

$54.8 ¥8,907

-16.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$3.44 ¥558

22.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$2.87 ¥466

-71.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$21.85 ¥3,552

-15.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.18 ¥192

76.27%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$23.5K ¥3.8M

47.54%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$18.2K ¥3.0M

115.10%

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

$148 €130

$141 ¥22.9K

5.04%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$19.47 ¥3,164

5.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$34.15 ¥5,551

15.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$69.2 ¥11.2K

-30.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

$13.76 ¥2,236

35.17%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$11.91 ¥1,936

-22.59%

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

$616 €539

$283 ¥46.1K

117.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$13.8K ¥2.2M

19.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$37.81 ¥6,145

171.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$28.07 ¥4,562

48.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$59.9 ¥9,727

58.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$68.7 ¥11.2K

77.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$428 ¥69.6K

281.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$259 ¥42.0K

376.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$877 ¥142.6K

253.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$656 ¥106.5K

209.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

$4,887 ¥794.2K

60.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

$2,152 ¥349.8K

103.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

$1,474 ¥239.6K

9.02%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Saitama: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $428 in Saitama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 9% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $34.00 in Saitama. Groceries flip the comparison at $267 vs $300, 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 103% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,127 including rent). Saitama is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 9% higher in Lisbon, 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $428 in Saitama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $283 in Saitama. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 12% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,127 in Saitama versus $2,291 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 103% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.