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 $1,003 in San José.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,558 in San José.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $2,113 in San José.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 120% more expensive than San José, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, San José is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.81

$16.11 UYU 649

-1.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €56.2

$55.2 UYU 2,223

17.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.12

$10.94 UYU 440

-3.93%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.49

$4.14 UYU 167

-30.68%

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

$2.24 €1.95

$2.16 UYU 87.0

3.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$1.75 UYU 70.4

-14.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.03

$4.32 UYU 174

-19.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.37

$3.59 UYU 145

8.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.99

$1.02 UYU 41.20

11.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.52

$1.91 UYU 77.0

-8.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.52

$1.43 UYU 57.6

23.08%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.79

$2.51 UYU 101

28.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.71

$12.05 UYU 485

11.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.87

$7.31 UYU 294

8.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.77

$11.06 UYU 445

43.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €2.00

$1.23 UYU 49.70

87.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.48

$1.46 UYU 58.7

16.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.74

$1.20 UYU 48.38

67.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.13

$1.49 UYU 59.9

65.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.60

$1.00 UYU 40.10

84.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.74

$1.23 UYU 49.62

62.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.30 UYU 52.5

48.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$1.69 UYU 68.0

-53.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.73

$5.11 UYU 206

29.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.97

$10.15 UYU 409

-43.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$2.36 UYU 95.0

-41.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.58

$3.05 UYU 123

-2.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.06

$1.25 UYU 50.4

89.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.53

$44.42 UYU 1,788

2.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.72

$1.51 UYU 60.9

184.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.71

$1.56 UYU 62.9

-47.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.88

$11.05 UYU 445

65.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.79

$1.87 UYU 75.4

10.16%

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

$34.3K €29.7K

$34.6K UYU 1.4M

-1.03%

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

$39.3K €34.1K

$36.2K UYU 1.5M

8.65%

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

$148 €128

$168 UYU 6,783

-12.24%

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

$20.52 €17.80

$16.39 UYU 660

25.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.37

$49.72 UYU 2,002

-20.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.51

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.42

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.97

$10.46 UYU 421

-12.24%

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

$614 €533

$482 UYU 19.4K

27.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.9K

$8,892 UYU 357.9K

80.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.8

$94.4 UYU 3,798

10.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.49

$46.71 UYU 1,880

-9.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €81.5

$116 UYU 4,661

-18.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €104

$123 UYU 4,949

-2.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,412

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,089

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,629

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,753

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,767

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,707

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,391

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for San José: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $55.0 in San José for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $247 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 120% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,003 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 $1,505 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 $614 in Lisbon versus $482 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 $1,003 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 120% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.