Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and San Miguel Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and San Miguel

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $1,317 in San Miguel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,956 in San Miguel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $2,595 in San Miguel.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 72% more expensive than in San Miguel, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, San Miguel is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$3.88 $3.88

352.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$24.99 $24.99

158.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$6.88 $6.88

69.33%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$2.91 $2.91

12.03%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$0.77 $0.77

223.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.63 $0.63

165.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$2.02 $2.02

71.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$3.45 $3.45

3.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.78 $1.78

-33.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$2.89 $2.89

-32.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.39 $1.39

12.23%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$3.12 $3.12

28.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$7.80 $7.80

70.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$6.94 $6.94

21.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$10.14 $10.14

79.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$4.92 $4.92

-52.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.47 $1.47

17.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$3.00 $3.00

-35.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$3.41 $3.41

-22.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$3.00 $3.00

-36.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$3.37 $3.37

-37.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.02 $1.02

41.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$1.00 $1.00

-20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$3.95 $3.95

77.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$11.77 $11.77

-49.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$2.23 $2.23

-39.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.86 $2.86

-24.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.34 $0.34

600.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

$27.08 $27.08

70.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$5.88 $5.88

-28.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$3.02 $3.02

-63.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$9.91 $9.91

74.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.20 $1.20

87.50%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$25.2K $25.2K

36.82%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$27.6K $27.6K

50.55%

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

$171 €147

$129 $129

32.86%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$20.88 $20.88

-8.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$42.07 $42.07

-18.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$28.58 $28.58

73.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$21.95 $21.95

-11.12%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$4.98 $4.98

102.81%

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

$699 €603

$160 $160

337.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$4,354 $4,354

308.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$65.0 $65.0

60.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$46.20 $46.20

3.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$116 $116

-12.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$116 $116

10.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$704 $704

135.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$500 $500

145.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$977 $977

198.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$815 $815

148.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$1,383 $1,383

487.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$968 $968

378.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$384 $384

321.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

8.5

-55.53%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for San Miguel: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $704 in San Miguel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 322% 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: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $25.00 in San Miguel. Groceries flip the comparison at $281 vs $288, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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 Miguel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and San Miguel differ by about 72% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $1,317 including rent). San Miguel is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 322% 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $704 in San Miguel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $160 in San Miguel. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,317 in San Miguel versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in San Miguel but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes San Miguel 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 Miguel 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 Miguel gentler on the wallet – expenses run 72% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.