Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and San Fernando Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and San Fernando

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,088 in San Fernando.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,738 in San Fernando.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $2,387 in San Fernando.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, San Fernando is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.81

$10.62 MX$185

49.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €56.2

$39.11 MX$683

65.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.12

$7.97 MX$139

31.87%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.49

$3.25 MX$56.7

-11.69%

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

$2.24 €1.95

$1.24 MX$21.65

80.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.89 MX$15.62

68.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.03

$2.31 MX$40.42

51.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.37

$3.86 MX$67.5

0.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.99

$1.48 MX$25.88

-22.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.52

$2.54 MX$44.35

-31.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.52

$1.61 MX$28.06

9.32%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.79

$2.37 MX$41.47

35.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.71

$7.87 MX$137

71.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.87

$8.02 MX$140

-1.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.77

$10.71 MX$187

48.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €2.00

$2.65 MX$46.28

-12.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.48

$1.44 MX$25.19

18.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.74

$1.70 MX$29.69

18.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.13

$1.65 MX$28.81

49.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.60

$1.91 MX$33.39

-3.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.74

$2.02 MX$35.20

-0.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.25 MX$21.82

54.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.98 MX$17.12

-19.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.73

$4.08 MX$71.2

62.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.97

$12.27 MX$214

-53.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.56 MX$27.17

-12.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.58

$2.86 MX$49.87

3.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.06

$0.61 MX$10.58

288.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.53

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.72

$2.64 MX$46.07

62.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.71

$1.58 MX$27.64

-48.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.88

$8.20 MX$143

123.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.79

$1.31 MX$22.90

57.25%

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

$34.3K €29.7K

$21.2K MX$369.8K

61.87%

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

$39.3K €34.1K

$22.4K MX$391.8K

75.14%

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

$148 €128

$56.6 MX$988

161.25%

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

$20.52 €17.80

$21.95 MX$383

-6.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.37

$28.20 MX$493

40.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.51

$36.10 MX$631

32.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.42

$15.62 MX$273

21.13%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.97

$4.74 MX$82.7

93.67%

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

$614 €533

$202 MX$3,536

203.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.9K

$3,590 MX$62.7K

347.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.8

$53.0 MX$925

97.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.49

$39.95 MX$698

5.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €81.5

$90.4 MX$1,578

3.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €104

$79.2 MX$1,382

51.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,412

$516 MX$9,004

215.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,089

$395 MX$6,898

217.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,629

$944 MX$16.5K

220.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,753

$755 MX$13.2K

167.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,767

$1,967 MX$34.4K

296.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,707

$1,274 MX$22.3K

235.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,391

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

11.48

-66.81%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for San Fernando: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $516 in San Fernando. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $39.00 in San Fernando for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $254 per month, with San Fernando 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 San Fernando: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and San Fernando differ by about 103% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,088 including rent). San Fernando is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,315 in Lisbon and $1,632 in San Fernando to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $516 in San Fernando. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $1,088 in San Fernando – a 103% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,088 in San Fernando versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in San Fernando but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes San Fernando 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 Fernando 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 San Fernando 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.