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: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $1,205 in Shiga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,868 in Shiga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $2,530 in Shiga.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 88% more expensive than Shiga, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Shiga is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.73

$6.80 ¥1,087

134.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.6

$34.05 ¥5,446

86.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.95

$4.96 ¥793

109.27%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.40

$2.70 ¥431

3.33%

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

$2.34 €2.01

$1.09 ¥175

114.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.76 ¥122

106.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.95

$2.78 ¥445

23.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.37

$4.23 ¥677

-7.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.31 ¥209

-17.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.41 ¥226

25.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$4.04 ¥646

-57.67%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.71

$2.44 ¥390

29.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.79

$10.61 ¥1,697

28.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.90

$6.46 ¥1,034

23.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.37

$19.01 ¥3,040

-18.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$3.66 ¥585

-37.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$2.09 ¥334

-21.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$2.61 ¥417

-25.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.17

$4.34 ¥694

-42.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$1.66 ¥265

7.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.29 ¥207

55.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.32 ¥212

49.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.89 ¥142

-5.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$3.97 ¥635

71.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.89

$9.23 ¥1,477

-38.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$2.11 ¥338

-34.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.60

$2.97 ¥475

1.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.95

$1.67 ¥266

35.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.15

$55.4 ¥8,858

-17.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.70

$4.56 ¥730

-5.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$3.32 ¥531

-74.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.75

$23.32 ¥3,730

-21.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.16 ¥185

71.55%

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

$35.0K €30.2K

$22.8K ¥3.6M

53.79%

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

$39.5K €34.1K

$17.0K ¥2.7M

132.13%

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

$146 €126

$134 ¥21.5K

8.87%

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

$20.45 €17.62

$27.40 ¥4,382

-25.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.58

$30.82 ¥4,929

26.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.21

$56.2 ¥8,987

-12.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.22

$13.92 ¥2,227

35.27%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.21

$12.63 ¥2,020

-24.62%

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

$608 €524

$69.5 ¥11.1K

775.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.2K

$10.2K ¥1.6M

61.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.5

$44.76 ¥7,159

132.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.29

$29.23 ¥4,674

44.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.5

$66.6 ¥10.7K

38.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$96.4 ¥15.4K

24.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,397

$466 ¥74.5K

248.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,092

$324 ¥51.9K

290.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,626

$854 ¥136.5K

257.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,731

$651 ¥104.2K

208.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,602

$4,201 ¥671.9K

82.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,730

$2,670 ¥427.0K

62.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,366

$1,176 ¥188.1K

34.74%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Shiga: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $466 in Shiga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 35% 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 Shiga. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $296, 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 88% in total monthly costs ($2,263 vs $1,205 including rent). Shiga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 35% 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: $1,621 in Lisbon versus $466 in Shiga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $608 in Lisbon versus $69.5 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 $1,205 in Shiga versus $2,263 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 88% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.