Cost of Living Comparison Between San Bernardino, CA and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between San Bernardino, CA and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,851 in San Bernardino, CA versus $2,316 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,323 in San Bernardino, CA versus $3,361 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,794 in San Bernardino, CA versus $4,405 in Lisbon.

Living in San Bernardino, CA is roughly 23% more expensive than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Bernardino, CA 108% above, Lisbon 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.64 $19.64

$17.30 €14.92

13.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.7 $63.7

$63.3 €54.6

0.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.13 $15.13

$11.39 €9.83

32.84%

Cappuccino

$6.07 $6.07

$3.19 €2.75

90.28%

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

$3.79 $3.79

$2.45 €2.11

54.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 $3.08

$1.76 €1.52

75.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.12 $7.12

$3.59 €3.10

98.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.02 $8.02

$3.39 €2.93

136.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.24 €1.07

-17.74%

White Bread (500g)

$4.13 $4.13

$1.98 €1.71

108.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.72 $2.72

$1.52 €1.31

78.95%

Eggs

$4.96 $4.96

$4.04 €3.49

22.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.41 $9.41

$13.54 €11.68

-30.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.70 $14.70

$8.39 €7.23

75.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.42 $13.42

$18.25 €15.74

-26.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 $3.12

$2.29 €1.97

36.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.74 €1.50

6.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.86 €1.60

18.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.63 €2.27

-15.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.92 €1.65

-8.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.09 €1.81

-14.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.44 €1.24

-9.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 $1.80

$0.84 €0.73

114.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.89 $11.89

$6.78 €5.85

75.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.83 $12.83

$5.71 €4.93

124.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.38 €1.19

55.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.22 €1.91

90.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.40 €2.07

-15.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.0 $59.0

$46.78 €40.35

26.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.88 $2.88

$4.17 €3.60

-30.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.14 €0.98

113.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.2 $60.2

$17.68 €15.25

240.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 $1.30

$2.32 €2.00

-43.97%

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

$33.4K $33.4K

$35.3K €30.5K

-5.44%

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

$24.9K $24.9K

$41.4K €35.7K

-39.81%

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

$235 $235

$170 €147

38.14%

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

$60.0 $60.0

$19.34 €16.68

210.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.7 $70.7

$33.64 €29.01

110.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.64 $40.64

$48.10 €41.48

-15.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.16

Cinema Ticket

$12.80 $12.80

$9.92 €8.56

29.03%

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

$1,150 $1,150

$717 €619

60.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K $17.4K

$17.5K €15.1K

-0.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.8 $86.8

$105 €90.4

-17.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.17 $45.17

$46.95 €40.49

-3.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.1 $81.1

$103 €89.2

-21.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$213 $213

$124 €107

71.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,798 $1,798

$1,677 €1,446

7.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,475 $1,475

$1,271 €1,096

16.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,566 $2,566

$2,985 €2,574

-14.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,751 $2,751

$1,992 €1,718

38.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,575 $3,575

$7,826 €6,750

-54.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,662 $3,662

$4,658 €4,017

-21.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,394 $3,394

$1,583 €1,365

114.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.24

3.79

64.64%

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

Last update for San Bernardino, CA: August 31, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,798 in San Bernardino, CA and $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Bernardino, CA pays 114% 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: $64.0 in San Bernardino, CA vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $351 vs $283 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

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

San Bernardino, CA vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Bernardino, CA and Lisbon differ by about 23% in total monthly costs ($2,851 vs $2,316 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 114% higher in San Bernardino, CA, 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: $1,798 in San Bernardino, CA versus $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,150 in San Bernardino, CA versus $717 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in San Bernardino, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Lisbon is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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, San Bernardino, CA 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 Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in San Bernardino, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.