Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Shiga Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Shiga

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $1,202 in Shiga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,890 in Shiga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $2,578 in Shiga.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 90% more expensive than in Shiga, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Shiga is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.64

$7.01 ¥1,104

124.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.0

$35.17 ¥5,541

80.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.05

$4.76 ¥750

119.54%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.52

$2.76 ¥435

5.43%

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

$2.29 €1.98

$1.09 ¥171

110.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.76 ¥119

97.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$2.82 ¥444

26.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.43

$4.38 ¥690

-9.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.32 ¥207

-18.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.42 ¥224

23.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$4.07 ¥642

-58.23%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.81

$2.41 ¥379

34.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.47

$10.55 ¥1,663

25.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.67

$6.45 ¥1,017

19.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.66

$18.59 ¥2,930

-15.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$3.48 ¥549

-34.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$2.09 ¥329

-20.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$2.55 ¥402

-20.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$4.37 ¥689

-43.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$1.66 ¥261

7.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$1.24 ¥195

66.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$1.33 ¥210

48.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$0.82 ¥129

1.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.68

$3.87 ¥609

69.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.82

$9.20 ¥1,450

-39.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$2.14 ¥338

-37.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.60

$3.04 ¥479

-0.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$1.62 ¥255

40.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

$55.2 ¥8,703

-16.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.66

$4.58 ¥722

-7.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$3.36 ¥530

-74.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.31

$23.51 ¥3,705

-19.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.21 ¥191

66.94%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$22.9K ¥3.6M

53.00%

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

$39.6K €34.3K

$17.2K ¥2.7M

129.85%

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

$148 €128

$130 ¥20.5K

13.54%

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

$20.52 €17.77

$27.43 ¥4,322

-25.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.23

$30.97 ¥4,880

27.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.72

$56.5 ¥8,897

-14.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

$13.66 ¥2,153

34.63%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.88

$12.70 ¥2,001

-28.35%

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

$615 €532

$69.3 ¥10.9K

787.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$10.3K ¥1.6M

57.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$43.83 ¥6,906

131.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.45

$29.54 ¥4,655

42.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €79.9

$67.3 ¥10.6K

37.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$94.2 ¥14.8K

29.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,396

$476 ¥75.0K

238.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,086

$330 ¥51.9K

280.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,658

$850 ¥133.9K

261.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,764

$657 ¥103.5K

210.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,712

$4,731 ¥745.4K

63.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,712

$1,754 ¥276.4K

144.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,387

$1,155 ¥182.0K

38.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

1.81

110.50%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Last update for Shiga: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $476 in Shiga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 39% 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 Shiga. Groceries flip the comparison at $267 vs $293, 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 Shiga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Shiga differ by about 90% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $1,202 including rent). Shiga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 39% 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: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $476 in Shiga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $69.3 in Shiga. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,202 in Shiga versus $2,280 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shiga but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Shiga 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 Shiga 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 Shiga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 90% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.