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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $597 in San Juan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $986 in San Juan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,376 in San Juan.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 270% more expensive than San Juan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, San Juan is 55% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$5.86 ARS 8,357

171.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$29.78 ARS 42.5K

117.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$8.23 ARS 11.7K

27.70%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$1.50 ARS 2,142

91.33%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.97 ARS 1,384

130.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.86 ARS 1,226

74.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$1.98 ARS 2,828

76.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$2.93 ARS 4,179

32.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.72 ARS 1,022

58.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.71 ARS 1,016

146.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.22 ARS 1,736

44.26%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$1.67 ARS 2,378

92.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$3.45 ARS 4,928

291.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$3.56 ARS 5,080

122.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$3.90 ARS 5,560

306.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.51 ARS 2,157

52.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.47 ARS 2,095

15.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.49 ARS 2,123

34.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.08 ARS 2,974

18.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$0.62 ARS 891

196.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$0.66 ARS 945

203.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.42 ARS 593

359.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.86 ARS 1,222

-8.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$1.70 ARS 2,430

288.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$5.11 ARS 7,295

11.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.54 ARS 2,198

-11.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.84 ARS 2,619

61.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.29 ARS 410

717.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$4.95 ARS 7,066

820.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$0.41 ARS 587

946.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.02 ARS 1,456

-19.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$5.04 ARS 7,187

263.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.09 ARS 1,557

88.99%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$32.1K ARS 45.8M

6.81%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$21.3K ARS 30.4M

84.60%

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

$148 €127

$76.8 ARS 109.6K

92.51%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$4.97 ARS 7,083

312.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$10.16 ARS 14.5K

289.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$18.15 ARS 25.9K

163.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$5.89 ARS 8,398

221.22%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$2.01 ARS 2,873

356.72%

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

$614 €528

$104 ARS 147.8K

492.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$2,153 ARS 3.1M

645.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$49.46 ARS 70.6K

111.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$49.96 ARS 71.3K

-15.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$100 ARS 143.1K

-6.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$118 ARS 167.8K

1.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$148 ARS 211.7K

996.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$89.6 ARS 127.7K

1301.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$247 ARS 352.9K

1124.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$197 ARS 281.2K

924.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$2,548 ARS 3.6M

206.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$2,112 ARS 3.0M

102.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$713 ARS 1.0M

124.85%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for San Juan: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $148 in San Juan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 125% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $30.00 in San Juan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 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 270% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $597 including rent). San Juan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 125% more on average, 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $148 in San Juan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $104 in San Juan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 99% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $597 in San Juan versus $2,210 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 270% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.