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: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $983 in Saitama.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $1,315 in Saitama.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $1,646 in Saitama.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 136% more expensive than in Saitama, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Saitama is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.87

$5.61 ¥872

208.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$30.87 ¥4,804

104.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.79

$4.75 ¥739

139.79%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.74

$2.98 ¥464

7.05%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$0.71 ¥111

245.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.59 ¥92.2

198.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$2.48 ¥386

44.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$3.08 ¥480

10.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.41 ¥220

-12.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.72 ¥268

15.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$2.77 ¥432

-45.13%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.47

$1.97 ¥307

105.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.64

$11.85 ¥1,844

14.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.21

$5.34 ¥831

57.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.69

$14.55 ¥2,265

25.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$5.55 ¥864

-58.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$2.20 ¥343

-20.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$2.77 ¥431

-32.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$4.06 ¥633

-35.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$2.51 ¥391

-23.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$1.54 ¥239

35.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.26 ¥196

14.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$0.72 ¥112

16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$3.69 ¥574

83.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$6.35 ¥989

-10.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.72 ¥268

-19.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$1.99 ¥310

11.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$3.35 ¥521

-28.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.22

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$3.11 ¥485

34.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$2.46 ¥382

-53.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.20

$20.32 ¥3,163

-12.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.05 ¥164

120.95%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$21.6K ¥3.4M

63.89%

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

$41.4K €35.6K

$14.5K ¥2.3M

186.51%

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

$170 €146

$131 ¥20.4K

30.03%

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

$19.34 €16.62

$17.94 ¥2,792

7.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.92

$31.96 ¥4,974

5.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.35

$61.9 ¥9,629

-22.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.11

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.53

$10.82 ¥1,683

-8.32%

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

$717 €617

$633 ¥98.6K

13.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$14.4K ¥2.2M

21.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$34.98 ¥5,444

199.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.36

$24.53 ¥3,818

91.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €88.9

$55.4 ¥8,622

86.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$61.4 ¥9,560

101.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,441

$409 ¥63.7K

309.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,093

$226 ¥35.1K

463.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,566

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,713

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,728

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,004

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,361

$1,517 ¥236.1K

4.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

2.06

83.98%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Saitama: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $409 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $31.00 in Saitama for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $278 per month, with Saitama 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 Saitama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Saitama differ by about 136% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $983 including rent). Saitama is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 4% 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: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $409 in Saitama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,316 per month in Lisbon versus $983 in Saitama – a 136% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $983 in Saitama versus $2,316 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 136% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.