Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Diego, CA and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,223 a month against $4,077 in San Diego, CA, rent and utilities included – about $22,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

197

Cost of Living Index in San Diego, CA
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San Diego, CA Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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San Diego, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,077

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Diego, CA and in Lisbon

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in San Diego, CA and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,077 in San Diego, CA versus $2,223 in Lisbon.

San Diego, CA $4,077
Lisbon $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,059 in San Diego, CA versus $3,271 in Lisbon.

San Diego, CA $6,059
Lisbon $3,271

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,041 in San Diego, CA versus $4,319 in Lisbon.

San Diego, CA $8,041
Lisbon $4,319

Living in San Diego, CA is roughly 83% more expensive than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Diego, CA 202% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.72 $24.72

$16.50 €14.67

49.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.7 $97.7

$61.3 €54.5

59.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.25 $13.25

$11.27 €10.03

17.57%

Cappuccino

$5.96 $5.96

$3.06 €2.72

94.77%

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

$3.12 $3.12

$2.26 €2.01

38.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$1.73 €1.54

51.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.14 $8.14

$3.39 €3.02

140.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.11 $11.11

$3.40 €3.02

226.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.12 €1.00

22.32%

White Bread (500g)

$5.58 $5.58

$1.86 €1.65

200.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.70 $4.70

$1.53 €1.36

207.19%

Eggs

$6.77 $6.77

$3.96 €3.53

70.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.12 $17.12

$12.76 €11.35

34.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.30 $14.30

$7.90 €7.02

81.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.72 $20.72

$16.97 €15.09

22.10%

Apples (1kg)

$4.62 $4.62

$2.27 €2.02

103.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.75 €1.55

6.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$1.85 €1.64

133.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.08 $5.08

$2.57 €2.28

97.67%

Potato (1kg)

$3.11 $3.11

$1.86 €1.65

67.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.70 $2.70

$2.02 €1.80

33.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.44 €1.28

47.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$0.82 €0.73

145.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.74 $11.74

$6.56 €5.83

78.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.72 $16.72

$5.62 €5.00

197.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.28 €1.14

68.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 $3.20

$2.07 €1.84

54.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.35 €2.09

5.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.4 $73.4

$44.18 €39.30

66.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 $2.99

$3.99 €3.55

-25.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.09 €0.97

91.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.38 $28.38

$16.64 €14.81

70.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 $1.55

$2.28 €2.03

-32.02%

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

$37.0K $37.0K

$33.7K €30.0K

9.87%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$39.3K €35.0K

-34.76%

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

$256 $256

$167 €149

52.96%

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

$73.9 $73.9

$18.80 €16.72

292.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.4 $84.4

$33.09 €29.43

155.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.9 $72.9

$46.01 €40.93

58.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.09 $24.09

$19.19 €17.07

25.53%

Cinema Ticket

$20.21 $20.21

$9.84 €8.75

105.39%

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

$1,968 $1,968

$677 €602

190.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.0K $36.0K

$16.9K €15.1K

112.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.4 $68.4

$101 €90.1

-32.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.7 $54.7

$45.76 €40.70

19.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 $114

$100.0 €88.9

14.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 $146

$123 €109

19.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,210 $3,210

$1,614 €1,436

98.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,410 $2,410

$1,197 €1,065

101.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,499 $5,499

$2,862 €2,545

92.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,336 $4,336

$1,990 €1,770

117.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,110 $8,110

$7,577 €6,740

7.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,682 $6,682

$4,307 €3,831

55.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,975 $4,975

$1,588 €1,412

213.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.7

3.85

74.03%

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

Last update for San Diego, CA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

San Diego, CA

$2.4K 59.1%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9% 50.3% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

San Diego, CA

$475 11.7%

Lisbon

$269 12.1% 43.3% $206

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Diego, CA

$414 10.2%

Lisbon

$219 9.9% 47.1% $195

Eating Out

San Diego, CA

$395 9.7%

Lisbon

$242 10.9% 38.7% $153

Clothing & Footwear

San Diego, CA

$172 4.2%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 3.5% $6.1

Sport & Entertainment

San Diego, CA

$113 2.8%

Lisbon

$66 3% 42% $48

Getting Around

San Diego, CA

$97 2.4%

Lisbon

$63 2.8% 34.9% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,210 in San Diego, CA and $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Diego, CA pays 213% 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: $98.0 in San Diego, CA vs $61.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $475 vs $269 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 San Diego, CA

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

17:15 5:15 PM

01:15 1:15 AM

8 h ahead of San Diego, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,386,932

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

San Diego, CA Lisbon 9,150 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

San Diego, CA
Lisbon

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

San Diego, CA and Lisbon differ by about 83% in total monthly costs ($4,077 vs $2,223 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 213% higher in San Diego, 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: $3,210 in San Diego, CA versus $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,968 in San Diego, CA versus $677 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 76% higher in San Diego, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,223 in Lisbon versus $4,077 in San Diego, CA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in San Diego, CA. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon 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, San Diego, 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 83% less than in San Diego, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.