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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,244 in Sendai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,883 in Sendai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $2,522 in Sendai.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 84% more expensive than in Sendai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Sendai is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$6.60 ¥1,073

145.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$34.01 ¥5,525

86.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$4.71 ¥766

119.11%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$4.06 ¥659

-30.30%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$1.57 ¥255

45.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.73 ¥119

116.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$3.45 ¥561

-1.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$3.57 ¥580

12.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$1.42 ¥230

-23.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.18 ¥192

48.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$3.71 ¥603

-52.56%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$1.82 ¥296

74.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$10.12 ¥1,645

30.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$7.61 ¥1,236

4.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$9.92 ¥1,613

56.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$5.47 ¥889

-56.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$2.26 ¥367

-24.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$5.10 ¥829

-60.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$3.69 ¥599

-34.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.60 ¥423

-32.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.02 ¥328

0.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.15 ¥187

66.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.75 ¥122

13.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$4.90 ¥797

34.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$6.80 ¥1,104

-17.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$2.04 ¥332

-34.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.82 ¥458

5.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$1.77 ¥287

28.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$49.26 ¥8,004

-7.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$5.52 ¥898

-23.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$1.31 ¥212

-38.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$20.08 ¥3,262

-8.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.14 ¥186

82.46%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$21.0K ¥3.4M

65.25%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$28.2K ¥4.6M

38.91%

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

$148 €130

$177 ¥28.7K

-16.21%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$23.15 ¥3,762

-11.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$31.65 ¥5,142

24.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$54.5 ¥8,854

-11.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

$13.84 ¥2,248

34.39%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$12.35 ¥2,006

-25.34%

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

$616 €540

$311 ¥50.6K

98.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$6,236 ¥1.0M

163.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$63.0 ¥10.2K

63.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$39.19 ¥6,368

6.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$49.89 ¥8,106

89.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$75.5 ¥12.3K

61.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$445 ¥72.3K

266.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$333 ¥54.1K

270.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$829 ¥134.7K

273.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$636 ¥103.4K

219.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$2,606 ¥423.5K

200.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$1,409 ¥229.0K

211.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$862 ¥140.1K

86.36%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Sendai: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $445 in Sendai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 86% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $34.00 in Sendai. Groceries flip the comparison at $267 vs $281, 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 84% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,244 including rent). Sendai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 86% 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $445 in Sendai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $311 in Sendai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,244 in Sendai versus $2,291 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 84% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.