Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Juan, Argentina and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in San Juan: $891 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $15,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in San Juan
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San Juan Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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San Juan

🇦🇷 Argentina

$891

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Juan 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 Juan and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $891 in San Juan versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

San Juan $891
Lisbon $2,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,398 in San Juan versus $3,275 in Lisbon.

San Juan $1,398
Lisbon $3,275

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,904 in San Juan versus $4,341 in Lisbon.

San Juan $1,904
Lisbon $4,341

Living in San Juan costs roughly 60% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: San Juan is 35% below, Lisbon is 62% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.16 ARS 11.0K

$16.65 €14.96

-57.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.73 ARS 61.1K

$61.7 €55.5

-35.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.51 ARS 19.2K

$11.36 €10.20

10.12%

Cappuccino

$2.62 ARS 4,030

$2.97 €2.67

-11.78%

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

$2.19 ARS 3,365

$2.29 €2.06

-4.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 ARS 2,797

$1.74 €1.56

4.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.96 ARS 6,094

$3.40 €3.06

16.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 ARS 7,011

$3.31 €2.97

37.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 ARS 2,075

$1.16 €1.04

16.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.38 ARS 2,122

$1.91 €1.72

-27.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ARS 2,138

$1.51 €1.36

-7.95%

Eggs

$1.45 ARS 2,227

$4.02 €3.61

-63.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.90 ARS 4,463

$12.94 €11.62

-77.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.37 ARS 9,800

$7.77 €6.99

-18.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.75 ARS 16.5K

$17.76 €15.96

-39.47%

Apples (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,228

$2.30 €2.07

-36.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 ARS 2,123

$1.73 €1.56

-20.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 ARS 2,103

$1.86 €1.67

-26.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,224

$2.59 €2.33

-44.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ARS 2,244

$1.82 €1.64

-19.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ARS 2,127

$1.97 €1.77

-29.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 ARS 2,138

$1.47 €1.32

-5.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 ARS 2,241

$0.72 €0.65

102.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.69 ARS 4,138

$6.58 €5.92

-59.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.95 ARS 7,616

$5.61 €5.04

-11.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 ARS 2,241

$1.36 €1.22

7.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 ARS 2,205

$2.14 €1.92

-33.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 ARS 1,596

$2.33 €2.10

-55.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.14

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.03 ARS 3,126

$3.85 €3.46

-47.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 ARS 1,494

$1.07 €0.96

-9.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.04 ARS 7,758

$16.46 €14.79

-69.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ARS 1,742

$2.20 €1.98

-48.64%

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

$26.8K ARS 41.2M

$34.2K €30.7K

-21.67%

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

$33.6K ARS 51.7M

$38.7K €34.8K

-13.16%

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

$141 ARS 216.9K

$161 €145

-12.54%

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

$9.91 ARS 15.2K

$18.41 €16.54

-46.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.96 ARS 27.6K

$32.74 €29.41

-45.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.64 ARS 45.6K

$44.55 €40.03

-33.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.16

Cinema Ticket

$6.96 ARS 10.7K

$9.60 €8.62

-27.50%

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

$173 ARS 266.4K

$668 €600

-74.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,149 ARS 6.4M

$17.6K €15.8K

-76.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$108 ARS 165.5K

$102 €91.7

5.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.19 ARS 64.9K

$44.46 €39.95

-5.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$56.8 ARS 87.4K

$98.5 €88.5

-42.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.24 ARS 55.7K

$124 €111

-70.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$248 ARS 380.9K

$1,608 €1,445

-84.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$198 ARS 303.9K

$1,190 €1,069

-83.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ARS 769.5K

$2,812 €2,527

-82.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$408 ARS 627.1K

$2,013 €1,809

-79.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,043

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,111

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$696 ARS 1.1M

$1,575 €1,415

-55.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

1302.60%

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

Last update for San Juan: October 26, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Juan

$198 22.2%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8% 502% $993

Groceries & Markets

San Juan

$190 21.3%

Lisbon

$272 12.3% 43.4% $82

Eating Out

San Juan

$171 19.2%

Lisbon

$243 11% 41.7% $71

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Juan

$169 19%

Lisbon

$212 9.6% 25.8% $43

Clothing & Footwear

San Juan

$109 12.3%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 51.8% $57

Sport & Entertainment

San Juan

$44 4.9%

Lisbon

$64 2.9% 46.4% $20

Getting Around

San Juan

$11 * 1.2%

Lisbon

$63 2.9% 473% $52

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $248 in San Juan and $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays about 2.3 times 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: $40 in San Juan vs $62 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $272 per month, with San Juan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 San Juan

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

11:06 11:06 AM

14:06 2:06 PM

3 h ahead of San Juan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

522,029

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.5 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.84 EUR

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1,538 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.5 USD). 1 EUR = 1,712 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.84 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

San Juan Lisbon 9,930 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

San Juan
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 Juan vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Juan and Lisbon differ by about 148% in total monthly costs ($891 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, salaries run 56% lower in San Juan. 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: $248 in San Juan versus $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $891 per month in San Juan versus $2,210 in Lisbon – a 148% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. San Juan 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 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.

It comes down to priorities – San Juan wins on affordability, Lisbon on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.