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: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $1,199 in Sendai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $1,881 in Sendai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $2,563 in Sendai.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 91% more expensive than in Sendai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Sendai is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$6.37 ¥994

176.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$35.25 ¥5,500

78.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$4.78 ¥745

142.26%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$3.70 ¥578

-16.22%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$1.02 ¥159

144.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.87 ¥136

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$1.97 ¥307

76.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$3.21 ¥501

7.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.50 ¥235

-23.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.48 ¥230

29.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$6.73 ¥1,050

-77.71%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$2.11 ¥329

88.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$10.89 ¥1,700

22.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$11.92 ¥1,859

-32.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

$9.10 ¥1,420

98.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$3.64 ¥568

-35.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$2.26 ¥353

-22.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$4.82 ¥752

-61.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$3.22 ¥503

-20.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$2.63 ¥411

-30.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$2.32 ¥362

-9.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$1.38 ¥215

7.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$1.25 ¥194

-34.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$4.57 ¥714

55.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$7.19 ¥1,122

-17.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$1.62 ¥253

-19.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.73 ¥426

-21.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$1.49 ¥232

58.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

$39.23 ¥6,121

18.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$5.41 ¥844

-24.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

$18.64 ¥2,908

-8.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.09 ¥171

111.93%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$16.5K ¥2.6M

107.23%

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

$41.4K €36.1K

$26.1K ¥4.1M

58.49%

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

$169 €147

$142 ¥22.1K

19.02%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$30.64 ¥4,781

-36.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$36.50 ¥5,696

-8.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

$47.35 ¥7,388

3.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

$12.77 ¥1,993

52.15%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$10.24 ¥1,598

-6.54%

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

$696 €607

$230 ¥35.9K

202.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$3,835 ¥598.4K

352.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$59.3 ¥9,255

77.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$34.79 ¥5,429

37.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$36.48 ¥5,692

175.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$55.4 ¥8,642

124.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

$572 ¥89.2K

190.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$345 ¥53.9K

260.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

$707 ¥110.3K

319.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

$736 ¥114.9K

178.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

$2,804 ¥437.5K

179.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

$1,455 ¥227.1K

206.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

$910 ¥142.0K

79.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

2.73

38.46%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Sendai: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $572 in Sendai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 79% 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 $35.00 in Sendai. Groceries flip the comparison at $277 vs $313, 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 91% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $1,199 including rent). Sendai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 79% 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $572 in Sendai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $230 in Sendai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 13% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,199 in Sendai versus $2,296 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 91% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.