Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Saitama

For one person, living is cheaper in Saitama: $1,007 a month against $2,202 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $14,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Saitama
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Saitama Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

Saitama

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,007

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Saitama

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,202 in Lisbon versus $1,007 in Saitama.

Lisbon $2,202
Saitama $1,007

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,274 in Lisbon versus $1,330 in Saitama.

Lisbon $3,274
Saitama $1,330

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $1,653 in Saitama.

Lisbon $4,346
Saitama $1,653

Living in Lisbon is roughly 119% more expensive than in Saitama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 62% above, Saitama is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.04 €15.15

$5.55 ¥876

207.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 €55.4

$31.14 ¥4,920

100.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 €9.80

$4.86 ¥768

126.75%

Cappuccino

$3.12 €2.78

$3.07 ¥486

1.63%

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

$2.27 €2.02

$0.72 ¥114

215.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.55

$0.65 ¥103

167.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 €3.04

$2.46 ¥389

39.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 €3.33

$3.18 ¥503

17.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.45 ¥229

-19.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.66

$1.64 ¥260

13.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 €1.37

$2.68 ¥423

-42.54%

Eggs

$4.06 €3.61

$2.00 ¥316

103.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.91 €11.49

$10.14 ¥1,601

27.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.03

$5.45 ¥861

44.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.64 €15.69

$14.44 ¥2,281

22.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

$5.58 ¥882

-59.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

$2.25 ¥355

-22.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 €1.68

$2.84 ¥449

-33.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.27

$4.19 ¥662

-38.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

$2.61 ¥412

-29.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$1.56 ¥247

26.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.29

$1.25 ¥197

16.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 €0.69

$0.80 ¥126

-3.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.71 €5.97

$3.70 ¥585

81.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €5.04

$6.32 ¥999

-10.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.22

$1.74 ¥274

-21.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.88

$2.11 ¥333

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 €2.07

$3.45 ¥545

-32.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.43 €39.52

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.95 €3.51

$3.11 ¥492

27.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 €0.93

$2.70 ¥427

-61.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.15 €15.26

$20.19 ¥3,190

-15.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 €1.95

$1.10 ¥174

99.09%

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

$33.8K €30.0K

$21.9K ¥3.5M

54.14%

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

$38.3K €34.0K

$14.4K ¥2.3M

165.86%

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

$164 €146

$131 ¥20.7K

25.01%

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

$18.48 €16.43

$17.62 ¥2,784

4.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.96 €29.32

$31.87 ¥5,036

3.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.87 €40.80

$61.5 ¥9,721

-25.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.68 €16.61

Cinema Ticket

$9.75 €8.67

$11.12 ¥1,757

-12.32%

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

$684 €608

$620 ¥97.9K

10.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.7K

$14.8K ¥2.3M

18.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €92.3

$34.90 ¥5,514

197.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.20 €41.09

$25.61 ¥4,047

80.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.7 €88.7

$55.5 ¥8,772

79.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €111

$61.9 ¥9,773

101.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 €1,414

$414 ¥65.3K

284.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 €1,040

$237 ¥37.4K

394.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,851 €2,536

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,993 €1,773

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,793 €6,932

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,418 €3,930

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,600 €1,423

$1,505 ¥237.7K

6.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

2.06

86.89%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Last update for Saitama: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1%

Saitama

$237 23.5% 79.8% $932

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$273 12.4%

Saitama

$275 27.4% 0.8% $2.3

Eating Out

Lisbon

$247 11.2%

Saitama

$120 11.9% 51.5% $127

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$215 9.8%

Saitama

$181 17.9% 16.1% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$168 7.7%

Saitama

$80 8% 52.5% $88

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$65 3%

Saitama

$84 8.3% 28.2% $18

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Saitama

$30 * 3% 51.7% $33

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,589 in Lisbon and $414 in Saitama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 6% 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: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $31.00 in Saitama. Groceries flip the comparison at $273 vs $275, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇯🇵 Saitama

🕒 Local time

14:18 2:18 PM

22:18 10:18 PM

8 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

1,182,115

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lisbon Saitama 11,130 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Saitama

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 Saitama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Saitama differ by about 119% in total monthly costs ($2,202 vs $1,007 including rent). Saitama is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 6% 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: $1,589 in Lisbon versus $414 in Saitama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,202 per month in Lisbon versus $1,007 in Saitama – a 119% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,007 in Saitama versus $2,202 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 119% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.