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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $607 in San Juan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $996 in San Juan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,384 in San Juan.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 277% more expensive than in San Juan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, San Juan is 55% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$5.85 ARS 8,646

176.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$29.44 ARS 43.5K

115.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$7.88 ARS 11.6K

30.96%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$1.54 ARS 2,278

83.77%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$0.96 ARS 1,417

138.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.91 ARS 1,341

73.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$1.94 ARS 2,875

75.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$2.98 ARS 4,402

35.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$0.71 ARS 1,055

53.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$0.66 ARS 975

165.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.24 ARS 1,828

41.94%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$1.74 ARS 2,568

82.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$3.34 ARS 4,940

294.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$3.49 ARS 5,157

128.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$4.09 ARS 6,047

279.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.48 ARS 2,186

60.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.53 ARS 2,260

11.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.54 ARS 2,272

30.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$2.15 ARS 3,173

13.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.64 ARS 943

175.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.62 ARS 916

227.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.39 ARS 570

392.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.86 ARS 1,272

-1.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$1.78 ARS 2,626

269.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$4.91 ARS 7,253

13.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.48 ARS 2,184

-10.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$1.84 ARS 2,727

61.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.29 ARS 427

686.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

$5.10 ARS 7,537

797.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$0.41 ARS 609

931.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$1.03 ARS 1,522

-21.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$4.99 ARS 7,381

269.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.11 ARS 1,634

87.39%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$31.6K ARS 46.6M

9.86%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$21.0K ARS 31.1M

86.07%

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

$148 €130

$77.7 ARS 114.9K

90.49%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$5.10 ARS 7,544

301.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$10.17 ARS 15.0K

288.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$17.83 ARS 26.3K

169.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

$6.07 ARS 8,967

206.43%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$1.97 ARS 2,916

368.02%

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

$616 €539

$102 ARS 150.9K

503.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$2,197 ARS 3.2M

648.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$49.17 ARS 72.7K

108.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$49.82 ARS 73.6K

-16.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$99.7 ARS 147.4K

-4.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$118 ARS 173.8K

3.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$150 ARS 221.1K

991.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$91.6 ARS 135.3K

1245.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$250 ARS 369.7K

1138.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$204 ARS 301.1K

897.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

$2,550 ARS 3.8M

207.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

$2,083 ARS 3.1M

110.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

$709 ARS 1.0M

126.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

-95.18%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for San Juan: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $150 in San Juan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 127% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $29.00 in San Juan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $135 per month, with San Juan 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 Juan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and San Juan differ by about 277% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $607 including rent). San Juan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 127% higher in Lisbon, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $150 in San Juan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $102 in San Juan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 98% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $607 in San Juan versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in San Juan but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes San Juan 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 Juan 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 Juan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 277% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.