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: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $749 in San Juan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $1,110 in San Juan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $1,472 in San Juan.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 207% more expensive than in San Juan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, San Juan is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$4.00 ₱251

339.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$16.40 ₱1,029

283.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$2.74 ₱172

322.63%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.23 ₱140

39.01%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$0.63 ₱39.24

295.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.31 ₱19.13

461.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$1.06 ₱66.2

228.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$1.55 ₱97.3

121.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.60 ₱100

-28.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.15 ₱72.1

66.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$0.89 ₱56.1

68.54%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$1.74 ₱109

128.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$4.96 ₱311

167.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$3.47 ₱217

130.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

$7.14 ₱448

152.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$2.30 ₱144

2.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.36 ₱85.4

28.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$2.35 ₱147

-21.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$1.04 ₱65.2

145.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$1.74 ₱109

5.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$1.71 ₱107

22.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$0.66 ₱41.36

125.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.89 ₱56.1

-7.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$2.83 ₱177

150.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$7.53 ₱472

-21.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$0.96 ₱59.9

36.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.78 ₱112

19.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$0.24 ₱14.94

883.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

$11.42 ₱716

308.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$0.77 ₱48.23

429.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.23 ₱14.45

395.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

$1.96 ₱123

771.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.14 ₱71.3

102.63%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$20.9K ₱1.3M

63.48%

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

$41.4K €36.1K

$18.9K ₱1.2M

118.78%

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

$169 €147

$140 ₱8,754

20.76%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$14.52 ₱911

33.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$24.57 ₱1,541

36.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

$33.55 ₱2,104

45.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

$5.02 ₱315

287.05%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$5.25 ₱329

82.29%

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

$696 €607

$72.4 ₱4,540

861.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$2,458 ₱154.2K

606.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$28.28 ₱1,774

272.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$19.75 ₱1,238

141.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$71.7 ₱4,500

40.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$55.4 ₱3,475

124.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

$268 ₱16.8K

518.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$169 ₱10.6K

637.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

$504 ₱31.6K

488.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

$300 ₱18.8K

582.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

$2,930 ₱183.8K

167.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

$1,061 ₱66.5K

320.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

$242 ₱15.2K

575.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

6.75

-44.00%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for San Juan: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $268 in San Juan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 575% 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 $16.00 in San Juan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $171 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 207% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $749 including rent). San Juan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 575% 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $268 in San Juan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $72.4 in San Juan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 62% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $749 in San Juan versus $2,296 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 207% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.