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: $607 in San Juan versus $2,291 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $996 in San Juan versus $3,322 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,384 in San Juan versus $4,354 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 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.85 ARS 8,646

$16.19 €14.15

-63.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.44 ARS 43.5K

$63.3 €55.3

-53.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.88 ARS 11.6K

$10.32 €9.02

-23.64%

Cappuccino

$1.54 ARS 2,278

$2.83 €2.47

-45.58%

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

$0.96 ARS 1,417

$2.29 €2.00

-58.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 ARS 1,341

$1.58 €1.38

-42.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.94 ARS 2,875

$3.40 €2.97

-42.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 ARS 4,402

$4.03 €3.52

-26.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.71 ARS 1,055

$1.09 €0.95

-34.86%

White Bread (500g)

$0.66 ARS 975

$1.75 €1.53

-62.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 ARS 1,828

$1.76 €1.54

-29.55%

Eggs

$1.74 ARS 2,568

$3.17 €2.77

-45.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.34 ARS 4,940

$13.19 €11.53

-74.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.49 ARS 5,157

$7.97 €6.96

-56.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.09 ARS 6,047

$15.53 €13.57

-73.66%

Apples (1kg)

$1.48 ARS 2,186

$2.37 €2.07

-37.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 ARS 2,260

$1.71 €1.49

-10.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 ARS 2,272

$2.01 €1.75

-23.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.15 ARS 3,173

$2.43 €2.12

-11.52%

Potato (1kg)

$0.64 ARS 943

$1.76 €1.54

-63.64%

Onion (1kg)

$0.62 ARS 916

$2.03 €1.78

-69.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.39 ARS 570

$1.92 €1.68

-79.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 ARS 1,272

$0.85 €0.74

1.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.78 ARS 2,626

$6.58 €5.75

-72.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.91 ARS 7,253

$5.58 €4.87

-12.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 ARS 2,184

$1.33 €1.16

11.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ARS 2,727

$2.97 €2.60

-38.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ARS 427

$2.28 €1.99

-87.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.10 ARS 7,537

$45.79 €40.01

-88.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.41 ARS 609

$4.23 €3.69

-90.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ARS 1,522

$0.81 €0.71

27.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.99 ARS 7,381

$18.44 €16.11

-72.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ARS 1,634

$2.08 €1.82

-46.63%

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

$31.6K ARS 46.6M

$34.7K €30.3K

-8.97%

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

$21.0K ARS 31.1M

$39.2K €34.2K

-46.26%

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

$77.7 ARS 114.9K

$148 €129

-47.50%

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

$5.10 ARS 7,544

$20.46 €17.88

-75.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.17 ARS 15.0K

$39.56 €34.56

-74.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.83 ARS 26.3K

$47.99 €41.93

-62.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.07 ARS 8,967

$18.60 €16.25

-67.37%

Cinema Ticket

$1.97 ARS 2,916

$9.22 €8.06

-78.63%

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

$102 ARS 150.9K

$616 €538

-83.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,197 ARS 3.2M

$16.4K €14.4K

-86.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.17 ARS 72.7K

$103 €89.7

-52.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.82 ARS 73.6K

$41.74 €36.47

19.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.7 ARS 147.4K

$94.8 €82.8

5.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 ARS 173.8K

$122 €107

-3.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$150 ARS 221.1K

$1,633 €1,426

-90.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$91.6 ARS 135.3K

$1,232 €1,077

-92.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$250 ARS 369.7K

$3,098 €2,707

-91.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$204 ARS 301.1K

$2,031 €1,775

-89.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,550 ARS 3.8M

$7,831 €6,842

-67.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,083 ARS 3.1M

$4,389 €3,835

-52.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$709 ARS 1.0M

$1,607 €1,404

-55.88%

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: July 11, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $150 in San Juan and $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 127% 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: $29.00 in San Juan vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $135 vs $267 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 277% in total monthly costs ($607 vs $2,291 including rent). San Juan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 127% 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: $150 in San Juan versus $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $102 in San Juan versus $616 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 98% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $607 in San Juan versus $2,291 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 277% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.