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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,148 in Tsukuba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,829 in Tsukuba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $2,511 in Tsukuba.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 93% more expensive than Tsukuba, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Tsukuba is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$4.24 ¥678

275.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$36.23 ¥5,795

78.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$5.42 ¥867

93.91%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.83 ¥452

1.41%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.92 ¥147

143.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.81 ¥130

85.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$1.99 ¥318

75.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$3.05 ¥488

27.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.56 ¥250

-26.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.74 ¥279

0.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$2.50 ¥401

-29.60%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.20 ¥353

46.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.62

$8.30 ¥1,328

62.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$6.07 ¥972

30.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$11.14 ¥1,782

42.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$5.90 ¥943

-60.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$3.03 ¥485

-43.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$3.93 ¥629

-48.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.05 ¥328

20.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$3.39 ¥542

-45.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$3.46 ¥553

-42.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.07 ¥172

80.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.86 ¥138

-8.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$4.00 ¥641

65.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$9.42 ¥1,506

-39.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.74 ¥279

-21.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.06 ¥330

44.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.49 ¥399

-4.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.23

$54.4 ¥8,697

-16.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$3.44 ¥551

24.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$2.89 ¥462

-71.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$21.87 ¥3,499

-16.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.18 ¥189

74.58%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$21.4K ¥3.4M

60.35%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$15.4K ¥2.5M

155.27%

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

$148 €127

$141 ¥22.6K

4.84%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$27.94 ¥4,469

-26.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.11

$34.60 ¥5,535

14.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.20

$60.2 ¥9,624

-20.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$13.79 ¥2,206

37.20%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$13.60 ¥2,175

-32.50%

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

$614 €529

$136 ¥21.8K

351.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$11.9K ¥1.9M

34.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$41.80 ¥6,685

150.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.22

$29.96 ¥4,792

40.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$42.14 ¥6,741

122.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$96.0 ¥15.3K

24.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,402

$503 ¥80.4K

223.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$317 ¥50.8K

295.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$1,188 ¥190.0K

155.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,740

$697 ¥111.4K

190.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,716

$4,365 ¥698.2K

78.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,679

$2,137 ¥341.8K

99.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,381

$1,413 ¥226.1K

13.45%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Tsukuba: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $503 in Tsukuba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 13% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $36.00 in Tsukuba. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $278, 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 93% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,148 including rent). Tsukuba is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 13% 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $503 in Tsukuba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $136 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 $1,148 in Tsukuba versus $2,210 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 93% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.