Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Wakayama Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Wakayama

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,362 in Wakayama.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $2,105 in Wakayama.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $2,848 in Wakayama.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 68% more expensive than in Wakayama, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Wakayama 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$7.05 ¥1,146

129.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$34.04 ¥5,530

86.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$6.40 ¥1,041

61.25%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$3.12 ¥508

-9.29%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$1.20 ¥195

90.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.70 ¥113

125.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$3.38 ¥550

0.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$2.10 ¥341

91.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$1.61 ¥261

-32.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.78 ¥289

-1.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$5.10 ¥828

-65.49%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.45 ¥399

29.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$17.43 ¥2,832

-24.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$7.69 ¥1,249

3.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$15.75 ¥2,559

-1.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$9.04 ¥1,469

-73.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$2.81 ¥457

-39.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$4.78 ¥777

-57.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$9.67 ¥1,571

-74.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$3.86 ¥627

-54.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.56 ¥416

-20.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.32 ¥214

45.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.45 ¥235

-41.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$3.39 ¥552

94.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$9.02 ¥1,465

-38.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$2.74 ¥445

-51.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.31 ¥375

28.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$1.65 ¥268

38.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$55.9 ¥9,089

-18.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$3.46 ¥562

22.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$2.89 ¥469

-71.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$17.65 ¥2,869

4.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.19 ¥194

74.79%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$22.9K ¥3.7M

51.46%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$16.7K ¥2.7M

134.80%

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

$148 €130

$138 ¥22.4K

7.20%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$27.61 ¥4,485

-25.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$34.19 ¥5,555

15.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$56.3 ¥9,139

-14.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

$13.96 ¥2,269

33.24%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$12.64 ¥2,053

-27.06%

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

$616 €540

$478 ¥77.6K

28.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$11.4K ¥1.9M

43.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$46.82 ¥7,607

119.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$32.60 ¥5,297

28.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$56.9 ¥9,245

66.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$92.9 ¥15.1K

31.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$470 ¥76.3K

247.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$330 ¥53.7K

273.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$850 ¥138.0K

264.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$670 ¥108.9K

203.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$4,081 ¥663.1K

91.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$2,175 ¥353.3K

101.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$3,832 ¥622.6K

-58.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

1.67

128.14%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Wakayama: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $470 in Wakayama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wakayama pays 138% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $34.00 in Wakayama. Groceries flip the comparison at $267 vs $407, 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 Wakayama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Wakayama differ by about 68% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,362 including rent). Wakayama is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 138% lower in Wakayama. 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $470 in Wakayama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $478 in Wakayama. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 52% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,362 in Wakayama versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Wakayama but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Wakayama 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 Wakayama 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 Wakayama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.