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: $2,215 in San Juan versus $2,316 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,318 in San Juan versus $3,361 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,422 in San Juan versus $4,405 in Lisbon.

Living in San Juan costs roughly 4% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Juan 61% above, Lisbon 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.92 $18.92

$17.30 €14.92

9.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.5 $82.5

$63.3 €54.6

30.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.32 $9.32

$11.39 €9.83

-18.17%

Cappuccino

$3.71 $3.71

$3.19 €2.75

16.30%

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

$1.77 $1.77

$2.45 €2.11

-27.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.76 €1.52

-18.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 $2.95

$3.59 €3.10

-17.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 $4.94

$3.39 €2.93

45.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.24 €1.07

83.87%

White Bread (500g)

$3.68 $3.68

$1.98 €1.71

85.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 $2.40

$1.52 €1.31

57.89%

Eggs

$7.55 $7.55

$4.04 €3.49

86.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.38 $12.38

$13.54 €11.68

-8.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.73 $9.73

$8.39 €7.23

15.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.48 $13.48

$18.25 €15.74

-26.14%

Apples (1kg)

$5.13 $5.13

$2.29 €1.97

124.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.61 $2.61

$1.74 €1.50

50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.91 $4.91

$1.86 €1.60

163.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.87 $4.87

$2.63 €2.27

85.17%

Potato (1kg)

$3.74 $3.74

$1.92 €1.65

94.79%

Onion (1kg)

$3.99 $3.99

$2.09 €1.81

90.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.54 $3.54

$1.44 €1.24

145.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 $1.59

$0.84 €0.73

89.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.17 $12.17

$6.78 €5.85

79.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.64 $15.64

$5.71 €4.93

173.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.99 $2.99

$1.38 €1.19

116.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 $3.92

$2.22 €1.91

76.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 $0.77

$2.40 €2.07

-67.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.40 $30.40

$46.78 €40.35

-35.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.47 $2.47

$4.17 €3.60

-40.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.14 €0.98

30.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.18 $41.18

$17.68 €15.25

132.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 $1.16

$2.32 €2.00

-50.00%

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

$39.7K $39.7K

$35.3K €30.5K

12.29%

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

$28.1K $28.1K

$41.4K €35.7K

-32.13%

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

$326 $326

$170 €147

91.64%

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

$69.0 $69.0

$19.34 €16.68

256.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.1 $70.1

$33.64 €29.01

108.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.23 $40.23

$48.10 €41.48

-16.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.67 $7.67

$19.90 €17.16

-61.46%

Cinema Ticket

$10.36 $10.36

$9.92 €8.56

4.44%

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

$837 $837

$717 €619

16.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K $12.4K

$17.5K €15.1K

-29.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.5 $56.5

$105 €90.4

-46.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.5 $60.5

$46.95 €40.49

28.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 $108

$103 €89.2

4.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 $112

$124 €107

-9.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,789 $1,789

$1,677 €1,446

6.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$846 $846

$1,271 €1,096

-33.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,909 $2,909

$2,985 €2,574

-2.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,465 $1,465

$1,992 €1,718

-26.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,363 $7,363

$7,826 €6,750

-5.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,334 $3,334

$4,658 €4,017

-28.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,743 $2,743

$1,583 €1,365

73.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

3.79

72.82%

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

Last update for San Juan: September 1, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,789 in San Juan and $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Juan pays 73% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $82.0 in San Juan vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $418 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 Juan vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Juan and Lisbon differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($2,215 vs $2,316 including rent). San Juan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 73% higher in San Juan, 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: $1,789 in San Juan versus $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $837 in San Juan versus $717 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 48% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. 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.

Expats usually find San Juan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.