Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and San German

For one person, living is cheaper in San German: $1,318 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
64

Cost of Living Index in San German
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San German Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

San German

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$1,318

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in San German

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,318 in San German.

Lisbon $2,210
San German $1,318

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $2,078 in San German.

Lisbon $3,275
San German $2,078

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $2,838 in San German.

Lisbon $4,341
San German $2,838

Living in Lisbon is roughly 68% more expensive than in San German, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 62% above, San German is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.95

$19.04 $19.04

-12.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.5

$81.5 $81.5

-24.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.20

$9.10 $9.10

24.84%

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.67

$3.66 $3.66

-18.85%

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

$2.29 €2.06

$1.88 $1.88

21.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.56

$1.51 $1.51

15.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.06

$2.95 $2.95

15.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.97

$5.04 $5.04

-34.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.04

$2.21 $2.21

-47.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.72

$3.55 $3.55

-46.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.36

$2.42 $2.42

-37.60%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.61

$7.57 $7.57

-46.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.62

$12.32 $12.32

5.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.98

$9.47 $9.47

-17.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.95

$13.42 $13.42

32.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.07

$5.21 $5.21

-55.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.56

$2.54 $2.54

-31.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.67

$4.95 $4.95

-62.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.33

$4.93 $4.93

-47.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.64

$3.67 $3.67

-50.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.77

$3.98 $3.98

-50.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

$3.40 $3.40

-56.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

$1.60 $1.60

-55.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.91

$11.89 $11.89

-44.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.04

$15.62 $15.62

-64.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

$3.13 $3.13

-56.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.92

$3.94 $3.94

-45.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.10

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.14

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.46

$2.53 $2.53

52.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

$1.53 $1.53

-30.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.79

$41.40 $41.40

-60.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.98

$1.23 $1.23

78.86%

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

$34.2K €30.7K

$34.9K $34.9K

-2.12%

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

$38.7K €34.8K

$28.2K $28.2K

37.56%

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

$161 €145

$317 $317

-49.21%

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

$18.41 €16.54

$69.7 $69.7

-73.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.41

$69.1 $69.1

-52.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €40.02

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.16

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.62

$10.36 $10.36

-7.34%

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

$668 €600

$814 $814

-17.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

$12.7K $12.7K

38.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.6

$56.9 $56.9

79.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.94

$61.5 $61.5

-27.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.5

$110 $110

-10.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$115 $115

7.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,445

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,069

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,526

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,808

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,042

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,110

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,415

$2,818 $2,818

-44.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

6.55

-41.22%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for San German: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

San German

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

San German

$415 31.5% 52.2% $142

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

San German

$262 19.9% 8% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

San German

$456 34.6% 115% $244

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

San German

$154 11.7% 6.9% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

San German

$21 * 1.6% 67.5% $43

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

San German

$10 * 0.8% 83.9% $53

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

Cost Breakdown

San German pays 79% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $81 in San German for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $415 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇵🇷 San German

🕒 Local time

16:50 4:50 PM

12:50 12:50 PM

4 h behind Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

35,000

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Lisbon San German 6,000 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
San German

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 German: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and San German differ by about 68% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,318 including rent). San German is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 44% lower in Lisbon. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 34% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you’ll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $1,318 in San German – a 68% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,318 in San German versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in San German but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes San German 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 German are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.