Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and San Marino

For one person, living is cheaper in San Marino: $1,170 a month against $2,202 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $12,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

San Marino

🇸🇲 San Marino

$1,170

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,202 in Lisbon versus $1,170 in San Marino.

Lisbon $2,202
San Marino $1,170

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,274 in Lisbon versus $1,632 in San Marino.

Lisbon $3,274
San Marino $1,632

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $2,094 in San Marino.

Lisbon $4,346
San Marino $2,094

Living in Lisbon is roughly 88% more expensive than in San Marino, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 62% above, San Marino is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.04 €15.15

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 €55.4

$89.3 €79.5

-30.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 €9.80

$9.01 €8.01

22.31%

Cappuccino

$3.12 €2.78

$1.71 €1.52

82.46%

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

$2.27 €2.02

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.55

$1.31 €1.17

32.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 €3.04

$5.67 €5.04

-39.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 €3.33

$6.69 €5.95

-44.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.04

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.66

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 €1.37

Eggs

$4.06 €3.61

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.91 €11.49

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.03

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.64 €15.69

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 €1.68

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.27

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.29

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 €0.69

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.71 €5.97

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €5.04

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.22

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.88

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 €2.07

$1.67 €1.48

38.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.43 €39.52

$28.28 €25.15

57.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.95 €3.51

$11.20 €9.96

-64.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 €0.93

$1.43 €1.27

-26.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.15 €15.26

$24.19 €21.52

-29.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 €1.95

$1.84 €1.64

19.02%

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

$33.8K €30.0K

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

$38.3K €34.0K

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

$164 €146

$114 €101

43.95%

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

$18.48 €16.43

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.96 €29.32

$33.68 €29.96

-2.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.87 €40.80

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.68 €16.61

$28.19 €25.08

-33.74%

Cinema Ticket

$9.75 €8.67

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

$684 €608

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €92.3

$79.8 €71.0

29.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.20 €41.09

$33.56 €29.85

37.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.7 €88.7

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €111

$55.6 €49.49

124.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 €1,414

$792 €704

100.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 €1,040

$790 €702

48.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,851 €2,536

$993 €884

186.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,993 €1,773

$1,013 €901

96.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,793 €6,932

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,418 €3,930

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,600 €1,423

$3,752 €3,337

-57.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Last update for San Marino: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1%

San Marino

–

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$273 12.4%

San Marino

–

Eating Out

Lisbon

$247 11.2%

San Marino

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$215 9.8%

San Marino

–

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$168 7.7%

San Marino

–

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$65 3%

San Marino

–

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

San Marino

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,589 in Lisbon and $792 in San Marino. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Marino pays 134% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out at a mid-range restaurant: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $89.0 in San Marino for two.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇸🇲 San Marino

🕒 Local time

01:06 1:06 AM

02:06 2:06 AM

1 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

4,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lisbon San Marino 1,890 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
San Marino

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.

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Lisbon vs San Marino: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and San Marino differ by about 88% in total monthly costs ($2,202 vs $1,170 including rent). San Marino is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 134% lower in San Marino. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,589 in Lisbon versus $792 in San Marino. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in San Marino – a meal for two runs $89.0 versus $62.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,202 per month in Lisbon versus $1,170 in San Marino – a 88% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,170 in San Marino versus $2,202 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in San Marino but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes San Marino 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 Marino 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 Marino gentler on the wallet – expenses run 88% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.