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: $760 in San Juan versus $2,268 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,320 in San Juan versus $3,348 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,880 in San Juan versus $4,429 in Lisbon.

Living in San Juan costs roughly 67% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: San Juan is 45% below, Lisbon is 64% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.41 TTD 70.2

$17.55 €15.12

-40.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 TTD 392

$64.5 €55.6

-9.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.87 TTD 53.1

$11.65 €10.04

-32.45%

Cappuccino

$3.63 TTD 24.49

$3.26 €2.81

11.35%

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

$1.15 TTD 7.77

$2.49 €2.15

-53.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 TTD 5.12

$1.67 €1.44

-54.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 TTD 15.22

$3.47 €2.99

-34.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 TTD 20.21

$3.58 €3.08

-16.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 TTD 13.46

$1.18 €1.02

69.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 TTD 15.45

$1.95 €1.68

17.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.88 TTD 19.40

$1.56 €1.35

84.62%

Eggs

$3.78 TTD 25.47

$4.01 €3.46

-5.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.80 TTD 45.87

$13.27 €11.44

-48.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.90 TTD 66.7

$8.42 €7.26

17.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.68 TTD 58.5

$18.23 €15.72

-52.39%

Apples (1kg)

$5.36 TTD 36.14

$2.32 €2.00

131.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.55 TTD 17.19

$1.73 €1.49

47.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.76 TTD 25.36

$1.93 €1.67

94.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.32 TTD 29.15

$2.64 €2.27

63.64%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 TTD 5.11

$1.90 €1.64

-60.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.71 TTD 4.82

$2.11 €1.82

-66.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 TTD 9.74

$1.44 €1.24

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 TTD 8.14

$0.80 €0.69

51.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.63 TTD 37.94

$7.01 €6.04

-19.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.60 TTD 119

$5.92 €5.11

197.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 TTD 10.54

$1.36 €1.18

14.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 TTD 20.50

$2.15 €1.85

41.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.86 TTD 5.77

$4.19 €3.61

-79.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 TTD 6.08

$1.10 €0.95

-18.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.83 TTD 100.0

$17.26 €14.88

-14.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 TTD 7.48

$2.25 €1.94

-50.67%

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

$36.2K TTD 244.0K

$34.5K €29.7K

5.01%

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

$41.2K TTD 277.7K

$41.6K €35.9K

-1.02%

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

$43.95 TTD 296

$171 €147

-74.28%

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

$42.65 TTD 288

$19.01 €16.38

124.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.19 TTD 311

$34.28 €29.55

34.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

Cinema Ticket

$9.05 TTD 61.0

$10.10 €8.71

-10.40%

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

$393 TTD 2,647

$699 €603

-43.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.9K TTD 73.4K

$17.8K €15.3K

-38.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 TTD 371

$105 €90.2

-47.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.08 TTD 250

$47.97 €41.35

-22.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.6 TTD 591

$102 €87.8

-13.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.8 TTD 592

$128 €111

-31.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.75

3.78

52.12%

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

Last update for San Juan: September 8, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $58.0 in San Juan vs $64.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $317 vs $281, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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 199% in total monthly costs ($760 vs $2,268 including rent). San Juan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,139 in San Juan and $3,402 in Lisbon to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 13% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $760 per month in San Juan versus $2,268 in Lisbon – a 199% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $760 in San Juan versus $2,268 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 199% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.