Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Tsukuba Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Tsukuba

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,155 in Tsukuba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,866 in Tsukuba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $2,577 in Tsukuba.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 98% more expensive than in Tsukuba, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Tsukuba is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$4.12 ¥669

292.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$36.67 ¥5,958

72.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$5.71 ¥928

80.74%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$2.82 ¥457

0.35%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$0.89 ¥145

157.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.75 ¥121

110.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$1.92 ¥312

77.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$3.10 ¥503

30.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$1.57 ¥255

-30.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.74 ¥283

0.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.48 ¥402

-29.03%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.22 ¥360

42.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$8.07 ¥1,312

63.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$6.10 ¥992

30.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$11.17 ¥1,814

39.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$5.85 ¥950

-59.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$3.09 ¥503

-44.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$3.96 ¥643

-49.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$2.10 ¥341

15.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$3.23 ¥524

-45.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$3.42 ¥556

-40.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.07 ¥174

79.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.83 ¥136

2.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$3.89 ¥633

69.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$8.99 ¥1,460

-37.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.81 ¥293

-26.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.13 ¥346

39.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$2.49 ¥405

-8.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$54.5 ¥8,851

-15.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$3.38 ¥550

25.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$2.96 ¥481

-72.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$22.57 ¥3,668

-18.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.22 ¥199

70.49%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$22.0K ¥3.6M

57.82%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$15.1K ¥2.5M

158.83%

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

$148 €130

$143 ¥23.2K

3.64%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$27.48 ¥4,464

-25.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$34.06 ¥5,534

16.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$59.5 ¥9,670

-19.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

$14.00 ¥2,275

32.86%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$13.76 ¥2,236

-32.99%

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

$616 €540

$141 ¥22.9K

336.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$12.1K ¥2.0M

36.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$40.95 ¥6,654

150.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$29.33 ¥4,765

42.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$41.63 ¥6,764

127.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$96.3 ¥15.6K

26.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$518 ¥84.1K

215.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$316 ¥51.4K

289.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$1,186 ¥192.8K

161.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$692 ¥112.4K

193.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$3,959 ¥643.2K

97.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$2,109 ¥342.7K

108.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$1,395 ¥226.6K

15.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

90.50%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Tsukuba: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $518 in Tsukuba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 15% 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 $37.00 in Tsukuba. Groceries flip the comparison at $267 vs $276, 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 Tsukuba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Tsukuba differ by about 98% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,155 including rent). Tsukuba is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 15% 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 $518 in Tsukuba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $141 in Tsukuba. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,155 in Tsukuba versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tsukuba but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Tsukuba 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 Tsukuba 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 Tsukuba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 98% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.