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: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $1,201 in San Fernando.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $1,944 in San Fernando.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $2,686 in San Fernando.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 93% more expensive than in San Fernando, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, San Fernando is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.89

$13.10 MX$221

32.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$42.87 MX$724

47.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.80

$7.89 MX$133

44.36%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.75

$4.13 MX$69.7

-22.76%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$1.50 MX$25.35

63.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$1.12 MX$18.90

57.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$2.68 MX$45.26

33.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$4.97 MX$83.8

-31.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.74 MX$29.35

-28.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$2.88 MX$48.60

-31.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.61 MX$27.17

-5.59%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.48

$2.65 MX$44.65

52.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.65

$10.04 MX$170

34.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.22

$8.04 MX$136

4.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.70

$12.28 MX$207

48.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$3.34 MX$56.4

-31.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.51 MX$25.41

15.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.97 MX$33.27

-5.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$1.66 MX$28.09

58.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.89 MX$31.84

1.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$1.95 MX$32.85

7.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.41 MX$23.79

2.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$1.20 MX$20.33

-30.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$4.47 MX$75.4

51.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$12.79 MX$216

-55.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.70 MX$28.64

-18.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$3.54 MX$59.7

-37.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$0.81 MX$13.70

196.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.25

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$2.75 MX$46.39

51.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$2.20 MX$37.06

-48.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.21

$10.27 MX$173

72.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.52 MX$25.61

52.63%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$22.6K MX$381.7K

56.23%

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

$41.4K €35.7K

$22.6K MX$381.5K

83.35%

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

$170 €147

$56.6 MX$955

201.15%

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

$19.34 €16.64

$23.16 MX$391

-16.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.95

$36.61 MX$618

-8.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.39

$33.29 MX$562

44.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.12

$19.12 MX$323

4.08%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.54

$5.90 MX$99.5

68.14%

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

$717 €617

$281 MX$4,746

155.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$5,378 MX$90.8K

224.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$58.3 MX$983

79.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.40

$42.46 MX$717

10.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.0

$112 MX$1,883

-7.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$98.3 MX$1,659

26.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,443

$643 MX$10.9K

160.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,094

$372 MX$6,280

241.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,568

$1,157 MX$19.5K

158.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,715

$828 MX$14.0K

140.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,734

$1,897 MX$32.0K

312.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,008

$1,115 MX$18.8K

317.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,362

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

11.3

-66.46%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for San Fernando: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $643 in San Fernando. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $43.00 in San Fernando. Groceries flip the comparison at $283 vs $283, 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 San Fernando: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and San Fernando differ by about 93% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $1,201 including rent). San Fernando is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,474 in Lisbon and $1,802 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: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $643 in San Fernando. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 0% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,316 per month in Lisbon versus $1,201 in San Fernando – a 93% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,201 in San Fernando versus $2,316 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 93% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.