Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Marino and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in San Marino: $1,170 a month against $2,202 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $12,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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San Marino

🇸🇲 San Marino

$1,170

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,170 in San Marino versus $2,202 in Lisbon.

San Marino $1,170
Lisbon $2,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,632 in San Marino versus $3,274 in Lisbon.

San Marino $1,632
Lisbon $3,274

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,094 in San Marino versus $4,346 in Lisbon.

San Marino $2,094
Lisbon $4,346

Living in San Marino costs roughly 47% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: San Marino is 14% below, Lisbon is 62% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.04 €15.15

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.3 €79.5

$62.3 €55.4

43.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.01 €8.01

$11.02 €9.80

-18.24%

Cappuccino

$1.71 €1.52

$3.12 €2.78

-45.19%

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

$2.27 €2.02

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.17

$1.74 €1.55

-24.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.67 €5.04

$3.42 €3.04

65.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.69 €5.95

$3.74 €3.33

78.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.04

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.66

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 €1.37

Eggs

$4.06 €3.61

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.91 €11.49

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.03

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.64 €15.69

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 €1.68

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.27

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.29

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 €0.69

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.71 €5.97

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €5.04

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.22

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.88

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.67 €1.48

$2.32 €2.07

-28.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.28 €25.15

$44.43 €39.52

-36.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$11.20 €9.96

$3.95 €3.51

183.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 €1.27

$1.05 €0.93

36.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.19 €21.52

$17.15 €15.26

41.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.64

$2.19 €1.95

-15.98%

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

$33.8K €30.0K

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

$38.3K €34.0K

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

$114 €101

$164 €146

-30.53%

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

$18.48 €16.43

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.68 €29.96

$32.96 €29.32

2.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.87 €40.80

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 €25.08

$18.68 €16.61

50.91%

Cinema Ticket

$9.75 €8.67

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

$684 €608

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.8 €71.0

$104 €92.3

-23.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.56 €29.85

$46.20 €41.09

-27.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.7 €88.7

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.6 €49.49

$125 €111

-55.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$792 €704

$1,589 €1,414

-50.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 €702

$1,169 €1,040

-32.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$993 €884

$2,851 €2,536

-65.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,013 €901

$1,993 €1,773

-49.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,793 €6,932

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,418 €3,930

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,752 €3,337

$1,600 €1,423

134.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

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

Last update for San Marino: October 19, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Marino

–

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1%

Groceries & Markets

San Marino

–

Lisbon

$273 12.4%

Eating Out

San Marino

–

Lisbon

$247 11.2%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Marino

–

Lisbon

$215 9.8%

Clothing & Footwear

San Marino

–

Lisbon

$168 7.7%

Sport & Entertainment

San Marino

–

Lisbon

$65 3%

Getting Around

San Marino

–

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $792 in San Marino and $1,589 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Marino pays 134% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out at a mid-range restaurant: $89.0 in San Marino vs $62.0 in Lisbon for two.

Good to know

🇸🇲 San Marino

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

01:09 1:09 AM

00:09 12:09 AM

1 h behind San Marino

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,000 Capital

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Marino Lisbon 1,890 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

San Marino
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.

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

San Marino and Lisbon differ by about 88% in total monthly costs ($1,170 vs $2,202 including rent). San Marino is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 134% higher in San Marino, 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: $792 in San Marino versus $1,589 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in San Marino – a meal for two runs $89.0 versus $62.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,170 per month in San Marino versus $2,202 in Lisbon – a 88% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,170 in San Marino versus $2,202 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in San Marino but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes San Marino 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 Marino 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 Marino gentler on the wallet – expenses run 88% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.