Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and San Diego, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,223 a month against $4,077 in San Diego, CA, rent and utilities included – about $22,200 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
197

Cost of Living Index in San Diego, CA
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San Diego, CA Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

San Diego, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,077

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in San Diego, CA

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 San Diego, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,223 in Lisbon versus $4,077 in San Diego, CA.

Lisbon $2,223
San Diego, CA $4,077

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,271 in Lisbon versus $6,059 in San Diego, CA.

Lisbon $3,271
San Diego, CA $6,059

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,319 in Lisbon versus $8,041 in San Diego, CA.

Lisbon $4,319
San Diego, CA $8,041

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 45% less than in San Diego, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, San Diego, CA 202% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.50 €14.67

$24.72 $24.72

-33.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 €54.5

$97.7 $97.7

-37.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.27 €10.03

$13.25 $13.25

-14.94%

Cappuccino

$3.06 €2.72

$5.96 $5.96

-48.66%

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

$2.26 €2.01

$3.12 $3.12

-27.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.54

$2.62 $2.62

-33.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 €3.02

$8.14 $8.14

-58.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 €3.02

$11.11 $11.11

-69.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 €1.00

$1.37 $1.37

-18.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.65

$5.58 $5.58

-66.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 €1.36

$4.70 $4.70

-67.45%

Eggs

$3.96 €3.53

$6.77 $6.77

-41.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.76 €11.35

$17.12 $17.12

-25.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.02

$14.30 $14.30

-44.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.97 €15.09

$20.72 $20.72

-18.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 €2.02

$4.62 $4.62

-50.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

$1.86 $1.86

-5.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

$4.32 $4.32

-57.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.57 €2.28

$5.08 $5.08

-49.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.65

$3.11 $3.11

-40.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 €1.80

$2.70 $2.70

-25.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.28

$2.12 $2.12

-32.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.73

$2.01 $2.01

-59.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.56 €5.83

$11.74 $11.74

-44.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.62 €5.00

$16.72 $16.72

-66.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 €1.14

$2.16 $2.16

-40.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 €1.84

$3.20 $3.20

-35.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 €2.09

$2.47 $2.47

-4.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.18 €39.30

$73.4 $73.4

-39.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 €3.55

$2.99 $2.99

33.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 €0.97

$2.09 $2.09

-47.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.64 €14.81

$28.38 $28.38

-41.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.03

$1.55 $1.55

47.10%

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

$33.7K €30.0K

$37.0K $37.0K

-8.98%

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

$39.3K €35.0K

$25.6K $25.6K

53.27%

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

$167 €149

$256 $256

-34.63%

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

$18.80 €16.72

$73.9 $73.9

-74.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.09 €29.43

$84.4 $84.4

-60.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.01 €40.93

$72.9 $72.9

-36.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.19 €17.07

$24.09 $24.09

-20.34%

Cinema Ticket

$9.84 €8.75

$20.21 $20.21

-51.31%

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

$677 €602

$1,968 $1,968

-65.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K €15.1K

$36.0K $36.0K

-52.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €90.1

$68.4 $68.4

47.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 €40.70

$54.7 $54.7

-16.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100.0 €88.9

$114 $114

-12.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €109

$146 $146

-16.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 €1,436

$3,210 $3,210

-49.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 €1,065

$2,410 $2,410

-50.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,862 €2,545

$5,499 $5,499

-47.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,990 €1,770

$4,336 $4,336

-54.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,577 €6,740

$8,110 $8,110

-6.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,307 €3,831

$6,682 $6,682

-35.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,588 €1,412

$4,975 $4,975

-68.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

6.7

-42.54%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Last update for San Diego, CA: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9%

San Diego, CA

$2.4K 59.1% 101% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$269 12.1%

San Diego, CA

$475 11.7% 76.5% $206

Eating Out

Lisbon

$242 10.9%

San Diego, CA

$395 9.7% 63% $153

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$219 9.9%

San Diego, CA

$414 10.2% 88.9% $195

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

San Diego, CA

$172 4.2% 3.7% $6.1

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$66 3%

San Diego, CA

$113 2.8% 72.4% $48

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.8%

San Diego, CA

$97 2.4% 53.6% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,614 in Lisbon and $3,210 in San Diego, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Diego, CA pays 213% 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: $61.0 in Lisbon vs $98.0 in San Diego, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $475 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇺🇸 San Diego, CA

🕒 Local time

02:03 2:03 AM

18:03 6:03 PM

8 h behind Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

1,386,932

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

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Between locations

Lisbon San Diego, CA 9,150 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
San Diego, CA

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 San Diego, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and San Diego, CA differ by about 83% in total monthly costs ($2,223 vs $4,077 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 213% lower in San Diego, CA. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,614 in Lisbon versus $3,210 in San Diego, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $677 in Lisbon versus $1,968 in San Diego, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 76% higher in San Diego, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,223 in Lisbon versus $4,077 in San Diego, CA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in San Diego, CA. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon 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 San Diego, CA 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 Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 83% less than in San Diego, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.