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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $1,273 in San Rafael.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $2,106 in San Rafael.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $2,939 in San Rafael.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 78% more expensive than in San Rafael, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, San Rafael is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$10.83 ARS 16.3K

62.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$50.7 ARS 76.4K

27.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$14.33 ARS 21.6K

-18.70%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$4.39 ARS 6,629

-25.74%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$2.36 ARS 3,555

5.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$1.89 ARS 2,850

-11.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$3.94 ARS 5,949

-11.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$4.52 ARS 6,820

-20.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.38 ARS 2,080

-14.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$2.31 ARS 3,484

-15.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$2.68 ARS 4,037

-41.79%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$3.23 ARS 4,877

24.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$14.41 ARS 21.7K

-7.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$6.35 ARS 9,577

32.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$10.84 ARS 16.3K

68.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$2.31 ARS 3,486

0.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$2.24 ARS 3,378

-22.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.35 ARS 2,037

42.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$3.29 ARS 4,958

-19.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.96 ARS 2,963

-3.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.50 ARS 2,268

40.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$2.00 ARS 3,020

-28.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$2.51 ARS 3,790

-68.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$2.77 ARS 4,181

153.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$5.02 ARS 7,575

17.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.77 ARS 2,664

-23.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$3.04 ARS 4,589

-29.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$1.03 ARS 1,548

131.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$2.03 ARS 3,057

106.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$1.01 ARS 1,526

8.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$4.95 ARS 7,466

248.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.25 ARS 1,888

80.00%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$27.4K ARS 41.3M

26.00%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$33.1K ARS 50.0M

25.60%

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

$171 €147

$133 ARS 200.3K

28.67%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$17.38 ARS 26.2K

9.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$23.55 ARS 35.5K

45.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$29.86 ARS 45.0K

66.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$7.01 ARS 10.6K

44.08%

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

$699 €603

$174 ARS 262.2K

302.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$4,135 ARS 6.2M

329.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$115 ARS 173.6K

-9.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$127 ARS 191.6K

-62.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$140 ARS 211.8K

-27.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$125 ARS 188.4K

2.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$478 ARS 721.4K

247.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$313 ARS 472.6K

292.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$974 ARS 1.5M

199.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$766 ARS 1.2M

164.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$2,387 ARS 3.6M

240.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

-93.59%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for San Rafael: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $478 in San Rafael. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $51.0 in San Rafael. Groceries flip the comparison at $281 vs $287, 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 Rafael: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and San Rafael differ by about 78% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $1,273 including rent). San Rafael is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,402 in Lisbon and $1,910 in San Rafael to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $478 in San Rafael. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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

All in, you'll spend $2,268 per month in Lisbon versus $1,273 in San Rafael – a 78% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,273 in San Rafael versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in San Rafael but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes San Rafael 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 Rafael 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 Rafael gentler on the wallet – expenses run 78% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.