Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Seongnam Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Seongnam

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $1,640 in Seongnam.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $2,448 in Seongnam.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $3,256 in Seongnam.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 36% more expensive than Seongnam, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 66% above, Seongnam 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.84

$6.04 ₩8,956

167.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$42.21 ₩62.6K

52.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$4.44 ₩6,591

133.78%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$3.76 ₩5,580

-26.33%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$1.55 ₩2,293

45.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.79 ₩1,177

98.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

$2.50 ₩3,712

39.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

$3.72 ₩5,525

7.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$2.14 ₩3,167

-49.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$2.12 ₩3,145

-17.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$3.22 ₩4,781

-45.96%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$3.07 ₩4,557

3.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$8.96 ₩13.3K

49.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$7.78 ₩11.5K

2.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

$33.70 ₩50.0K

-52.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$7.92 ₩11.7K

-71.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$3.47 ₩5,140

-50.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$5.67 ₩8,417

-65.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$6.40 ₩9,492

-60.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$3.52 ₩5,225

-48.01%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$2.88 ₩4,279

-29.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$2.55 ₩3,786

-22.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.94 ₩1,392

-9.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$3.38 ₩5,009

102.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

$16.64 ₩24.7K

-65.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.79 ₩2,662

-23.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$1.88 ₩2,785

54.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$1.04 ₩1,550

119.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$3.50 ₩5,199

16.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.57 ₩852

43.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$8.72 ₩12.9K

109.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$1.24 ₩1,837

62.10%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$27.8K ₩41.3M

26.76%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$25.1K ₩37.2M

53.38%

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

$145 €124

$163 ₩241.1K

-10.53%

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

$20.96 €17.94

$34.58 ₩51.3K

-39.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$22.44 ₩33.3K

78.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

$48.10 ₩71.3K

1.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$10.95 ₩16.2K

-17.26%

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

$607 €519

$411 ₩609.8K

47.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$23.6K ₩35.1M

-30.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$59.5 ₩88.3K

75.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$47.41 ₩70.3K

-13.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$79.3 ₩117.6K

18.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$117 ₩173.1K

1.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

$449 ₩666.6K

256.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

$654 ₩970.5K

88.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

$1,075 ₩1.6M

183.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

$1,047 ₩1.6M

96.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

$12.2K ₩18.2M

-37.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

$5,803 ₩8.6M

-26.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

$3,453 ₩5.1M

-54.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.14

-7.97%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 26, 2026

Last update for Seongnam: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $449 in Seongnam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seongnam pays 118% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $42.00 in Seongnam. Groceries flip the comparison at $271 vs $433, 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 Seongnam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Seongnam differ by about 36% in total monthly costs ($2,227 vs $1,640 including rent). Seongnam is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Seongnam earns 118% less. 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: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $449 in Seongnam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 60% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,227 per month in Lisbon versus $1,640 in Seongnam – a 36% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,640 in Seongnam versus $2,227 in Lisbon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Seongnam but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Seongnam 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 Seongnam 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 Seongnam gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.