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: $2,217 in Lisbon versus $783 in San Juan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,245 in Lisbon versus $1,285 in San Juan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,272 in Lisbon versus $1,786 in San Juan.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 183% more expensive than San Juan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, San Juan is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.78 €13.59

$2.73 ₱164

478.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.5 €53.8

$9.03 ₱544

591.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 €9.07

$3.64 ₱219

189.56%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.38

$2.85 ₱172

-2.81%

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

$2.28 €1.97

$0.78 ₱46.90

192.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.33

$0.48 ₱29.04

222.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.55 €3.05

$1.49 ₱89.5

138.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 €3.43

$2.10 ₱127

89.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.82 ₱109

-40.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.56 ₱93.8

13.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.00 ₱60.1

77.00%

Eggs

$3.12 €2.69

$2.07 ₱125

50.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.34 €11.49

$7.86 ₱474

69.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.88

$5.11 ₱308

56.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.92 €13.70

$10.47 ₱630

52.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$2.28 ₱137

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.42

$1.50 ₱90.6

9.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 €1.70

$3.21 ₱193

-38.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.20 ₱72.2

104.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.69 ₱102

4.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$3.60 ₱217

-45.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.11 ₱66.6

77.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.90 ₱54.3

-11.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.54 €5.63

$2.87 ₱173

127.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.75 €4.95

$7.43 ₱448

-22.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 €1.13

$0.72 ₱43.56

83.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 €2.57

$1.58 ₱95.0

89.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.34 €2.01

$0.17 ₱10.15

1276.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.85 €39.48

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.26 €3.66

$0.72 ₱43.43

491.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.22 ₱13.22

281.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.86 €16.24

$2.11 ₱127

793.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.12 ₱67.5

84.82%

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

$35.2K €30.3K

$28.2K ₱1.7M

24.89%

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

$38.6K €33.2K

$18.0K ₱1.1M

115.03%

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

$151 €130

$127 ₱7,628

19.32%

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

$20.91 €18.00

$33.34 ₱2,008

-37.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.54 €34.05

$26.33 ₱1,586

50.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.39 €41.67

$72.2 ₱4,346

-32.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.61 €16.02

$4.54 ₱273

309.91%

Cinema Ticket

$9.04 €7.79

$3.89 ₱234

132.39%

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

$610 €525

$149 ₱8,971

309.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$4,324 ₱260.4K

276.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €87.2

$46.12 ₱2,777

119.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.58 €34.94

$34.52 ₱2,079

17.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.0 €80.1

$68.0 ₱4,092

36.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$114 ₱6,891

3.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,603 €1,380

$269 ₱16.2K

496.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,239 €1,067

$108 ₱6,500

1047.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,019 €2,599

$1,256 ₱75.6K

140.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,061 €1,775

$390 ₱23.5K

428.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,981 €6,872

$2,548 ₱153.5K

213.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,533 €3,903

$1,121 ₱67.5K

304.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,628 €1,402

$248 ₱14.9K

557.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

6.17

-38.25%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 15, 2026

Last update for San Juan: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,603 in Lisbon and $269 in San Juan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 557% 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: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $9.00 in San Juan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $215 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 183% in total monthly costs ($2,217 vs $783 including rent). San Juan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 557% 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: $1,603 in Lisbon versus $269 in San Juan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,217 per month in Lisbon versus $783 in San Juan – a 183% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $783 in San Juan versus $2,217 in Lisbon, a $2,000 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 183% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.