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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $993 in San José.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,289 in Lisbon versus $1,583 in San José.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,369 in Lisbon versus $2,173 in San José.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 123% more expensive than in San José, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, San José is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.71 €13.81

$15.90 UYU 638

-1.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €55.3

$55.5 UYU 2,227

13.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.53 €9.26

$11.09 UYU 445

-5.05%

Cappuccino

$2.88 €2.54

$4.30 UYU 173

-33.02%

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

$2.25 €1.98

$2.24 UYU 89.8

0.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 €1.37

$1.78 UYU 71.5

-12.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 €2.98

$4.47 UYU 179

-24.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 €3.43

$3.76 UYU 151

3.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.95

$1.03 UYU 41.21

4.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 €1.52

$2.00 UYU 80.2

-13.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.55

$1.45 UYU 58.4

21.38%

Eggs

$3.16 €2.78

$2.62 UYU 105

20.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.68

$12.31 UYU 494

7.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.87 €6.92

$7.42 UYU 298

6.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.84 €13.92

$11.14 UYU 447

42.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 €2.11

$1.24 UYU 49.72

93.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.50

$1.43 UYU 57.3

18.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.21 UYU 48.43

67.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.52 €2.21

$1.44 UYU 57.7

75.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.63

$1.01 UYU 40.38

84.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 €1.81

$1.20 UYU 48.01

71.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 €1.76

$1.32 UYU 53.2

51.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 €0.69

$1.74 UYU 69.7

-55.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.65 €5.84

$5.03 UYU 202

32.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €5.08

$8.20 UYU 329

-29.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.22

$2.31 UYU 92.7

-40.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.65

$3.05 UYU 122

-0.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.05

$1.19 UYU 47.90

95.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.45 €39.96

$43.33 UYU 1,739

4.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.58

$1.44 UYU 57.8

183.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 €0.70

$1.54 UYU 62.0

-48.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.65 €16.39

$10.93 UYU 439

70.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.76

$1.81 UYU 72.6

10.50%

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

$35.4K €31.1K

$34.5K UYU 1.4M

2.56%

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

$39.1K €34.3K

$35.6K UYU 1.4M

9.61%

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

$150 €132

$169 UYU 6,775

-11.05%

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

$20.55 €18.07

$16.47 UYU 661

24.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.45 €34.68

$49.92 UYU 2,004

-20.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.06 €42.25

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.70 €16.44

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 €8.18

$10.65 UYU 427

-12.68%

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

$628 €552

$490 UYU 19.7K

28.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.5K

$8,846 UYU 355.1K

85.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €89.3

$93.3 UYU 3,745

8.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.55 €36.52

$48.03 UYU 1,928

-13.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.5 €81.3

$113 UYU 4,553

-18.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €108

$125 UYU 5,007

-1.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,431

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 €1,084

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,126 €2,748

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,058 €1,809

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,762 €6,824

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,386 €3,856

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,621 €1,425

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

5.68

-32.92%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 21, 2026

Last update for San José: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $55.0 in San José for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $246 per month, with San José 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 José: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and San José differ by about 123% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $993 including rent). San José 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 $1,489 in San José 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.

Childcare runs $628 in Lisbon versus $490 in San José. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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

At $993 in San José versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in San José but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes San José 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 José 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 José gentler on the wallet – expenses run 123% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.