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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,832 in San Sebastian.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $2,740 in San Sebastian.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $3,648 in San Sebastian.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 25% more expensive than in San Sebastian, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, San Sebastian 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$16.47 €14.43

-1.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$58.5 €51.2

8.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$9.82 €8.60

5.09%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$2.19 €1.92

29.22%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$2.67 €2.34

-14.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$2.10 €1.84

-24.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$3.54 €3.10

-3.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$2.26 €1.98

78.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$1.19 €1.05

-8.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.05 €0.92

66.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.09 €1.83

-15.79%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.78 €2.43

14.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$20.06 €17.57

-34.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$6.78 €5.94

17.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$14.80 €12.97

4.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$2.84 €2.49

-16.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$2.17 €1.90

-21.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.98 €1.74

1.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$3.21 €2.81

-24.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.80 €1.58

-2.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.85 €1.62

9.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.06 €0.93

81.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.64 €0.56

32.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$6.43 €5.63

2.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$7.78 €6.81

-28.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.24 €1.09

7.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.18 €1.91

36.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$2.12 €1.85

7.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$36.99 €32.40

23.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$7.72 €6.76

-45.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.93 €0.82

-12.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$23.09 €20.22

-20.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.80 €1.57

15.56%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$39.0K €34.1K

-11.04%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$35.9K €31.4K

9.15%

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

$148 €130

$137 €120

7.77%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$27.02 €23.67

-24.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$35.83 €31.38

10.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$53.0 €46.40

-9.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

$20.29 €17.77

-8.33%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$9.05 €7.93

1.88%

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

$616 €540

$455 €399

35.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$11.8K €10.3K

39.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$115 €100

-10.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$35.82 €31.37

16.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$90.4 €79.2

4.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$89.9 €78.7

35.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$1,252 €1,097

30.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$865 €757

42.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$2,131 €1,866

45.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$1,413 €1,237

43.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$9,799 €8,582

-20.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$4,366 €3,824

0.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$2,952 €2,585

-45.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.5

8.86%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for San Sebastian: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $1,252 in San Sebastian. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Sebastian pays 84% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $59.0 in San Sebastian. Groceries flip the comparison at $267 vs $279, 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 Sebastian: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and San Sebastian differ by about 25% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,832 including rent). San Sebastian is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 84% lower in San Sebastian. 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $1,252 in San Sebastian. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $455 in San Sebastian. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,832 in San Sebastian versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in San Sebastian but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes San Sebastian 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 Sebastian 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 Sebastian gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.