Cost of Living Comparison Between Nara and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Nara and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,269 in Nara versus $2,291 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,902 in Nara versus $3,322 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,536 in Nara versus $4,354 in Lisbon.

Living in Nara costs roughly 45% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nara is 5% below, Lisbon is 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.92 ¥1,124

$16.19 €14.18

-57.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.80 ¥5,654

$63.3 €55.5

-45.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.65 ¥917

$10.32 €9.04

-45.25%

Cappuccino

$3.12 ¥507

$2.83 €2.48

10.25%

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

$1.13 ¥184

$2.29 €2.01

-50.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 ¥118

$1.58 €1.38

-53.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 ¥548

$3.40 €2.98

-0.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ¥493

$4.03 €3.53

-24.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 ¥260

$1.09 €0.96

46.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 ¥231

$1.75 €1.53

-18.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.81 ¥782

$1.76 €1.54

173.30%

Eggs

$2.43 ¥395

$3.17 €2.77

-23.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.37 ¥1,686

$13.19 €11.56

-21.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.47 ¥1,051

$7.97 €6.98

-18.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.42 ¥3,318

$15.53 €13.60

31.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.50 ¥568

$2.37 €2.07

47.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.19 ¥355

$1.71 €1.49

28.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 ¥424

$2.01 €1.76

29.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.40 ¥716

$2.43 €2.13

81.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.64 ¥266

$1.76 €1.54

-6.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 ¥202

$2.03 €1.78

-38.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 ¥224

$1.92 €1.68

-28.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 ¥136

$0.85 €0.74

-1.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.53 ¥573

$6.58 €5.76

-46.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.04 ¥1,469

$5.58 €4.89

62.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 ¥349

$1.33 €1.17

61.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 ¥386

$2.97 €2.60

-19.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.19 ¥355

$2.28 €1.99

-3.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.7 ¥9,049

$45.79 €40.10

21.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.38 ¥549

$4.23 €3.70

-20.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.90 ¥470

$0.81 €0.71

258.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.13 ¥2,782

$18.44 €16.15

-7.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ¥199

$2.08 €1.82

-40.87%

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

$22.7K ¥3.7M

$34.7K €30.4K

-34.48%

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

$16.8K ¥2.7M

$39.2K €34.3K

-57.20%

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

$131 ¥21.2K

$148 €130

-11.67%

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

$27.56 ¥4,478

$20.46 €17.92

34.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.79 ¥4,840

$39.56 €34.64

-24.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.9 ¥13.1K

$47.99 €42.03

68.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.17 ¥1,327

$18.60 €16.29

-56.08%

Cinema Ticket

$12.27 ¥1,993

$9.22 €8.08

33.08%

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

$68.5 ¥11.1K

$616 €540

-88.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K ¥1.7M

$16.4K €14.4K

-36.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.58 ¥7,243

$103 €90.0

-56.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.03 ¥4,717

$41.74 €36.55

-30.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$56.8 ¥9,226

$94.8 €83.0

-40.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ¥14.7K

$122 €107

-26.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$434 ¥70.5K

$1,633 €1,430

-73.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$369 ¥60.0K

$1,232 €1,079

-70.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$623 ¥101.2K

$3,098 €2,713

-79.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$546 ¥88.7K

$2,031 €1,779

-73.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,685 ¥436.3K

$7,831 €6,858

-65.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,939 ¥315.0K

$4,389 €3,844

-55.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,119 ¥181.9K

$1,607 €1,408

-30.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.78

3.81

-53.28%

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

Last update for Nara: July 11, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $434 in Nara and $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 44% 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: $35.00 in Nara vs $63.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $303 vs $267, 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

Nara vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nara and Lisbon differ by about 81% in total monthly costs ($1,269 vs $2,291 including rent). Nara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 44% lower in Lisbon. 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: $434 in Nara versus $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $68.5 in Nara versus $616 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 14% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,269 in Nara versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Nara but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Nara 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, Nara and Lisbon 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 Nara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 81% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.