Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sendai Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sendai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,237 in Sendai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,903 in Sendai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $2,569 in Sendai.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 79% more expensive than Sendai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Sendai is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.80

$6.67 ¥1,069

138.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €56.2

$34.00 ¥5,451

90.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.12

$4.92 ¥789

113.62%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.49

$3.83 ¥614

-25.07%

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

$2.24 €1.95

$1.57 ¥251

42.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.75 ¥120

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.03

$3.55 ¥569

-1.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.37

$3.39 ¥544

14.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.99

$1.48 ¥237

-22.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.52

$1.18 ¥190

48.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.52

$3.85 ¥618

-54.29%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.79

$1.87 ¥300

72.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.70

$10.16 ¥1,628

32.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.87

$7.43 ¥1,191

6.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.77

$9.43 ¥1,512

68.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €2.00

$5.36 ¥859

-56.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.48

$2.30 ¥369

-26.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.74

$4.95 ¥794

-59.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.13

$3.62 ¥581

-32.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.60

$2.62 ¥420

-29.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.74

$1.98 ¥318

1.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.14 ¥183

69.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.81 ¥130

-2.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.73

$4.88 ¥782

35.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.97

$6.94 ¥1,113

-17.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$2.13 ¥341

-35.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.58

$2.71 ¥435

9.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.06

$1.71 ¥274

38.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.52

$49.39 ¥7,917

-7.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.72

$5.60 ¥898

-23.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.71

$1.36 ¥217

-39.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.88

$20.16 ¥3,231

-9.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.79

$1.18 ¥189

74.58%

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

$34.3K €29.7K

$20.7K ¥3.3M

65.64%

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

$39.3K €34.1K

$28.2K ¥4.5M

39.22%

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

$148 €128

$173 ¥27.7K

-14.53%

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

$20.52 €17.80

$23.14 ¥3,709

-11.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.37

$31.51 ¥5,051

25.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.51

$55.1 ¥8,824

-13.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.42

$13.93 ¥2,233

35.82%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.97

$12.32 ¥1,974

-25.49%

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

$614 €533

$314 ¥50.4K

95.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.9K

$6,305 ¥1.0M

154.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.8

$61.9 ¥9,920

69.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.49

$38.89 ¥6,233

8.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €81.5

$51.7 ¥8,290

81.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €104

$76.6 ¥12.3K

56.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,412

$446 ¥71.5K

264.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,089

$326 ¥52.3K

284.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,629

$825 ¥132.3K

267.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,753

$633 ¥101.4K

219.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,766

$2,656 ¥425.8K

193.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,707

$1,419 ¥227.5K

201.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,391

$1,134 ¥181.8K

41.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

27.00%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Sendai: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $446 in Sendai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 41% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $34.00 in Sendai. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $280, 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 Sendai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Sendai differ by about 79% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,237 including rent). Sendai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 41% more on average, 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $446 in Sendai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $314 in Sendai. 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 $1,237 in Sendai versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sendai but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Sendai 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 Sendai 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 Sendai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 79% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.