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: $2,243 in Lisbon versus $1,106 in San Fernando.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,770 in San Fernando.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,387 in Lisbon versus $2,435 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 67% above, San Fernando is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.73 €13.42

$10.66 MX$185

47.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 €53.9

$38.85 MX$673

62.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €8.80

$8.04 MX$139

28.36%

Cappuccino

$2.81 €2.40

$3.33 MX$57.7

-15.62%

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

$2.33 €1.99

$1.24 MX$21.45

87.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.95 MX$16.51

58.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 €2.87

$2.31 MX$40.05

45.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.34

$3.97 MX$68.8

-1.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.92

$1.44 MX$24.88

-25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.49

$2.54 MX$44.09

-31.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.61 MX$27.85

8.70%

Eggs

$3.10 €2.64

$2.39 MX$41.50

29.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.28 €11.33

$7.98 MX$138

66.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 €6.70

$7.75 MX$134

1.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.05 €13.69

$10.60 MX$184

51.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$2.62 MX$45.42

-8.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.47

$1.44 MX$24.88

19.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$1.71 MX$29.58

15.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.17

$1.66 MX$28.77

53.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.83 MX$31.67

-2.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$1.92 MX$33.29

2.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 €1.67

$1.20 MX$20.83

63.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.71

$0.98 MX$16.93

-14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.82

$4.09 MX$70.9

66.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.85 €4.99

$10.29 MX$178

-43.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.60 MX$27.67

-13.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 €2.49

$2.88 MX$49.86

1.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €1.95

$0.66 MX$11.40

246.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.88 €39.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 €3.51

$2.55 MX$44.16

61.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.69

$1.58 MX$27.39

-48.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.94 €16.16

$8.38 MX$145

126.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.78

$1.32 MX$22.90

58.33%

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

$35.1K €30.0K

$21.0K MX$364.1K

67.14%

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

$39.7K €33.9K

$22.4K MX$387.9K

77.47%

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

$150 €128

$57.6 MX$997

159.88%

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

$20.49 €17.48

$22.39 MX$388

-8.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.15 €33.40

$27.89 MX$483

40.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.35

$36.08 MX$625

37.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.47 €15.76

$15.99 MX$277

15.51%

Cinema Ticket

$9.20 €7.84

$4.74 MX$82.2

94.09%

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

$624 €533

$205 MX$3,556

204.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K €13.6K

$3,549 MX$61.5K

348.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €87.2

$53.8 MX$932

90.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 €34.87

$40.25 MX$698

1.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 €81.6

$88.1 MX$1,527

8.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €103

$79.3 MX$1,373

52.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 €1,410

$510 MX$8,832

224.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 €1,051

$400 MX$6,934

208.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,043 €2,596

$916 MX$15.9K

232.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,059 €1,756

$768 MX$13.3K

168.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,879 €6,720

$2,231 MX$38.7K

253.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,303 €3,671

$1,219 MX$21.1K

253.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,566 €1,336

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: April 21, 2026

Last update for San Fernando: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,653 in Lisbon and $510 in San Fernando. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63 in Lisbon vs $39 in San Fernando for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $270 vs $247 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 ($2,243 vs $1,106 including rent). San Fernando is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,365 in Lisbon and $1,658 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: $1,653 in Lisbon versus $510 in San Fernando. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,243 per month in Lisbon versus $1,106 in San Fernando – a 103% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,106 in San Fernando versus $2,243 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.