Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and San Juan, Argentina

For one person, living is cheaper in San Juan: $891 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $15,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon, Portugal
San Juan, Argentina
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
San Juan
🇦🇷 Argentina
$891
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $891 in San Juan.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • San Juan $891

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $1,398 in San Juan.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • San Juan $1,398

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $1,904 in San Juan.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • San Juan $1,904

Living in Lisbon is roughly 148% more expensive than in San Juan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 62% above, San Juan is 35% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
San Juan
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.95
$7.16 ARS 11.0K
132.54%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.5
$39.73 ARS 61.1K
55.40%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.20
$12.51 ARS 19.2K
-9.19%
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.67
$2.62 ARS 4,030
13.36%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.06
$2.19 ARS 3,365
4.57%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.56
$1.82 ARS 2,797
-4.40%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.06
$3.96 ARS 6,094
-14.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.97
$4.56 ARS 7,011
-27.41%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
San Juan
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.04
$1.35 ARS 2,075
-14.07%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.72
$1.38 ARS 2,122
38.41%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.36
$1.39 ARS 2,138
8.63%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.61
$1.45 ARS 2,227
177.24%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.62
$2.90 ARS 4,463
346.21%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.98
$6.37 ARS 9,800
21.98%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.95
$10.75 ARS 16.5K
65.21%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.07
$1.45 ARS 2,228
58.62%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.56
$1.38 ARS 2,123
25.36%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.67
$1.37 ARS 2,103
35.77%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.33
$1.45 ARS 2,224
78.62%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.64
$1.46 ARS 2,244
24.66%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.77
$1.38 ARS 2,127
42.75%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.32
$1.39 ARS 2,138
5.76%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$1.46 ARS 2,241
-50.68%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.91
$2.69 ARS 4,138
144.61%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.04
$4.95 ARS 7,616
13.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$1.46 ARS 2,241
-6.85%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.92
$1.43 ARS 2,205
49.65%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
San Juan
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 €2.10
$1.04 ARS 1,596
124.04%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.68 €40.14
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.85 €3.46
$2.03 ARS 3,126
89.66%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.96
$0.97 ARS 1,494
10.31%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.79
$5.04 ARS 7,758
226.59%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.98
$1.13 ARS 1,742
94.69%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.7K
$26.8K ARS 41.2M
27.67%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.8K
$33.6K ARS 51.7M
15.15%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
San Juan
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €145
$141 ARS 216.9K
14.34%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.54
$9.91 ARS 15.2K
85.77%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.41
$17.96 ARS 27.6K
82.29%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
San Juan
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €40.02
$29.64 ARS 45.6K
50.30%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.16
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.62
$6.96 ARS 10.7K
37.93%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
San Juan
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €600
$173 ARS 266.4K
285.54%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.8K
$4,149 ARS 6.4M
324.60%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
San Juan
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.6
$108 ARS 165.5K
-5.18%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.94
$42.19 ARS 64.9K
5.38%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €88.5
$56.8 ARS 87.4K
73.43%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$36.24 ARS 55.7K
241.25%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
San Juan
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 €1,445
$248 ARS 380.9K
549.52%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,069
$198 ARS 303.9K
502.38%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,812 €2,526
$500 ARS 769.5K
462.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,013 €1,808
$408 ARS 627.1K
393.86%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,839 €7,042
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,576 €4,110
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
San Juan
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,415
$696 ARS 1.1M
126.40%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
54
-92.87%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for San Juan: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
San Juan
$198 83.4% $993
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
San Juan
$190 30.3% $82
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
San Juan
$171 29.4% $71
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
San Juan
$169 20.5% $43
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
San Juan
$109 34.1% $57
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
San Juan
$44 31.7% $20
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
San Juan
$11 * 82.5% $52

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $248 in San Juan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays about 2.3 times 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: $62 in Lisbon vs $40 in San Juan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $190 per month, with San Juan cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇦🇷 San Juan
🕒 Local time
18:04 6:04 PM
15:04 3:04 PM
3 h behind Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
522,029
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

ARS, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1,538 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.5 USD). 1 EUR = 1,712 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.84 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon San Juan 9,930 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • San Juan

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 Juan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in San Juan?
Lisbon and San Juan differ by about 148% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $891 including rent). San Juan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Lisbon or San Juan?
Average pay in Lisbon is about 2.3 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Lisbon and in San Juan?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $248 in San Juan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more expensive overall: Lisbon or San Juan?
All in, you’ll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $891 in San Juan – a 148% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is feasible on a $800 budget?
Both cities are expensive relative to $800. San Juan is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and San Juan?
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.
Is Lisbon or San Juan safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Lisbon and San Juan?
It comes down to priorities – San Juan wins on affordability, Lisbon on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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