Cost of Living Comparison Between San Juan and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between San Juan and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $597 in San Juan versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $986 in San Juan versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,376 in San Juan versus $4,411 in Lisbon.

Living in San Juan costs roughly 73% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: San Juan is 55% below, Lisbon is 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.86 ARS 8,357

$15.91 €13.69

-63.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.78 ARS 42.5K

$64.8 €55.7

-54.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.23 ARS 11.7K

$10.51 €9.04

-21.69%

Cappuccino

$1.50 ARS 2,142

$2.87 €2.47

-47.74%

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

$0.97 ARS 1,384

$2.24 €1.93

-56.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 ARS 1,226

$1.50 €1.29

-42.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.98 ARS 2,828

$3.49 €3.00

-43.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 ARS 4,179

$3.88 €3.34

-24.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.72 ARS 1,022

$1.14 €0.98

-36.84%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 ARS 1,016

$1.75 €1.51

-59.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.22 ARS 1,736

$1.76 €1.51

-30.68%

Eggs

$1.67 ARS 2,378

$3.22 €2.77

-48.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.45 ARS 4,928

$13.49 €11.61

-74.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.56 ARS 5,080

$7.91 €6.81

-54.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.90 ARS 5,560

$15.87 €13.65

-75.43%

Apples (1kg)

$1.51 ARS 2,157

$2.31 €1.99

-34.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 ARS 2,095

$1.70 €1.46

-13.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 ARS 2,123

$2.01 €1.73

-25.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ARS 2,974

$2.46 €2.12

-15.45%

Potato (1kg)

$0.62 ARS 891

$1.84 €1.59

-66.30%

Onion (1kg)

$0.66 ARS 945

$2.00 €1.72

-67.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.42 ARS 593

$1.93 €1.66

-78.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 ARS 1,222

$0.79 €0.68

8.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.70 ARS 2,430

$6.61 €5.68

-74.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.11 ARS 7,295

$5.72 €4.92

-10.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 ARS 2,198

$1.37 €1.17

12.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ARS 2,619

$2.97 €2.56

-38.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ARS 410

$2.37 €2.04

-87.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$4.95 ARS 7,066

$45.56 €39.19

-89.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.41 ARS 587

$4.29 €3.69

-90.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ARS 1,456

$0.82 €0.70

24.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.04 ARS 7,187

$18.30 €15.74

-72.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ARS 1,557

$2.06 €1.78

-47.09%

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

$32.1K ARS 45.8M

$34.3K €29.5K

-6.38%

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

$21.3K ARS 30.4M

$39.3K €33.8K

-45.83%

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

$76.8 ARS 109.6K

$148 €127

-48.06%

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

$4.97 ARS 7,083

$20.52 €17.65

-75.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.16 ARS 14.5K

$39.61 €34.08

-74.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.15 ARS 25.9K

$47.85 €41.16

-62.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.89 ARS 8,398

$18.92 €16.28

-68.87%

Cinema Ticket

$2.01 ARS 2,873

$9.18 €7.90

-78.10%

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

$104 ARS 147.8K

$614 €528

-83.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,153 ARS 3.1M

$16.0K €13.8K

-86.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.46 ARS 70.6K

$105 €90.0

-52.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.96 ARS 71.3K

$42.06 €36.18

18.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 ARS 143.1K

$94.0 €80.8

6.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 ARS 167.8K

$120 €103

-1.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$148 ARS 211.7K

$1,628 €1,400

-90.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$89.6 ARS 127.7K

$1,255 €1,080

-92.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$247 ARS 352.9K

$3,030 €2,607

-91.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$197 ARS 281.2K

$2,020 €1,738

-90.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,548 ARS 3.6M

$7,800 €6,709

-67.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,112 ARS 3.0M

$4,273 €3,675

-50.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$713 ARS 1.0M

$1,603 €1,379

-55.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

1973.49%

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

Last update for San Juan: May 31, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $148 in San Juan and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 125% 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: $30.00 in San Juan vs $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $135 vs $269 per month, with San Juan 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 Juan vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Juan and Lisbon differ by about 270% in total monthly costs ($597 vs $2,210 including rent). San Juan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Lisbon earns 125% less. 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: $148 in San Juan versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $104 in San Juan versus $614 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 99% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $597 in San Juan versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in San Juan but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes San Juan 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 Juan 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 San Juan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 270% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.