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: $1,355 in San Juan versus $2,291 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in San Juan versus $3,322 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,810 in San Juan versus $4,354 in Lisbon.

Living in San Juan costs roughly 41% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Juan 1% above, Lisbon 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.25 TTD 48.85

$16.19 €14.17

-55.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.2 TTD 392

$63.3 €55.4

-8.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.57 TTD 51.0

$10.32 €9.03

-26.65%

Cappuccino

$3.79 TTD 25.57

$2.83 €2.48

33.92%

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

$1.10 TTD 7.40

$2.29 €2.00

-51.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 TTD 4.80

$1.58 €1.38

-55.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.90 TTD 12.78

$3.40 €2.98

-44.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 TTD 19.58

$4.03 €3.52

-28.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.77 TTD 18.65

$1.09 €0.95

154.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.84 TTD 19.12

$1.75 €1.53

62.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.71 TTD 18.29

$1.76 €1.54

53.98%

Eggs

$5.10 TTD 34.39

$3.17 €2.77

60.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.07 TTD 54.4

$13.19 €11.54

-38.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.39 TTD 70.0

$7.97 €6.97

30.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.11 TTD 95.1

$15.53 €13.59

-9.14%

Apples (1kg)

$5.76 TTD 38.82

$2.37 €2.07

143.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.58 TTD 17.37

$1.71 €1.49

50.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.27 TTD 28.81

$2.01 €1.76

112.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 TTD 32.16

$2.43 €2.13

96.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.48 TTD 9.95

$1.76 €1.54

-15.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 TTD 11.20

$2.03 €1.78

-18.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 TTD 13.22

$1.92 €1.68

2.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 TTD 9.46

$0.85 €0.74

64.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.92 TTD 39.92

$6.58 €5.76

-10.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.37 TTD 131

$5.58 €4.88

247.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 TTD 14.32

$1.33 €1.17

59.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 TTD 18.48

$2.97 €2.60

-7.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.05 TTD 7.09

$4.23 €3.70

-75.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 TTD 8.51

$0.81 €0.71

55.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.93 TTD 101

$18.44 €16.13

-19.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 TTD 7.62

$2.08 €1.82

-45.67%

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

$34.1K TTD 229.7K

$34.7K €30.3K

-1.71%

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

$38.5K TTD 259.7K

$39.2K €34.3K

-1.58%

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

$80.0 TTD 539

$148 €130

-45.96%

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

$47.34 TTD 319

$20.46 €17.90

131.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.0 TTD 411

$39.56 €34.61

54.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

Cinema Ticket

$10.11 TTD 68.1

$9.22 €8.07

9.65%

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

$327 TTD 2,203

$616 €539

-46.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,343 TTD 49.5K

$16.4K €14.4K

-55.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 TTD 403

$103 €89.9

-41.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.59 TTD 260

$41.74 €36.52

-7.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$149 TTD 1,003

$94.8 €82.9

57.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 TTD 852

$122 €107

3.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$744 TTD 5,013

$1,633 €1,428

-54.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$440 TTD 2,966

$1,232 €1,078

-64.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,035 TTD 6,976

$3,098 €2,711

-66.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$753 TTD 5,078

$2,031 €1,777

-62.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.38

3.81

41.21%

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

Last update for San Juan: July 13, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $744 in San Juan and $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $58.0 in San Juan vs $63.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $378 vs $267, 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 69% in total monthly costs ($1,355 vs $2,291 including rent). San Juan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,032 in San Juan and $3,437 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $744 in San Juan versus $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 42% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,355 per month in San Juan versus $2,291 in Lisbon – a 69% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,355 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 69% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.