Cost of Living Comparison Between San Mateo, CA and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between San Mateo, CA and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,446 in San Mateo, CA versus $2,291 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,681 in San Mateo, CA versus $3,322 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,916 in San Mateo, CA versus $4,354 in Lisbon.

Living in San Mateo, CA is roughly 94% more expensive than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Mateo, CA 233% above, Lisbon 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.87 $20.87

$16.19 €14.18

28.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.0 $64.0

$63.3 €55.5

0.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.33 $11.33

$10.32 €9.04

9.79%

Cappuccino

$5.05 $5.05

$2.83 €2.48

78.45%

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

$3.20 $3.20

$2.29 €2.01

39.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.58 €1.38

49.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.89 $6.89

$3.40 €2.98

102.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.11 $10.11

$4.03 €3.53

150.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.09 €0.96

34.86%

White Bread (500g)

$4.95 $4.95

$1.75 €1.53

182.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.22 $3.22

$1.76 €1.54

82.95%

Eggs

$4.77 $4.77

$3.17 €2.77

50.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.75 $14.75

$13.19 €11.56

11.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.60 $15.60

$7.97 €6.98

95.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.41 $22.41

$15.53 €13.60

44.30%

Apples (1kg)

$6.20 $6.20

$2.37 €2.07

161.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.71 €1.49

25.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$2.01 €1.76

137.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.72 $6.72

$2.43 €2.13

176.54%

Potato (1kg)

$3.60 $3.60

$1.76 €1.54

104.55%

Onion (1kg)

$4.30 $4.30

$2.03 €1.78

111.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.81 $2.81

$1.92 €1.68

46.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 $2.90

$0.85 €0.74

241.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.27 $11.27

$6.58 €5.76

71.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.46 $14.46

$5.58 €4.89

159.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.33 €1.17

30.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 $3.42

$2.97 €2.60

15.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.43 $4.43

$2.28 €1.99

94.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.3 $65.3

$45.79 €40.10

42.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 $3.57

$4.23 €3.70

-15.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 $1.94

$0.81 €0.71

139.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.59 $30.59

$18.44 €16.15

65.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$2.08 €1.82

-38.46%

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

$29.7K $29.7K

$34.7K €30.4K

-14.23%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$39.2K €34.3K

-34.60%

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

$258 $258

$148 €130

74.38%

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

$49.19 $49.19

$20.46 €17.92

140.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.7 $63.7

$39.56 €34.64

61.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$94.9 $94.9

$47.99 €42.03

97.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

Cinema Ticket

$15.68 $15.68

$9.22 €8.08

70.07%

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

$1,989 $1,989

$616 €540

222.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.5K $25.5K

$16.4K €14.4K

55.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.6 $53.6

$103 €90.0

-47.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.19 $30.19

$41.74 €36.55

-27.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 $88.6

$94.8 €83.0

-6.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 $123

$122 €107

1.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,778 $2,778

$1,633 €1,430

70.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,850 $2,850

$1,232 €1,079

131.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,977 $5,977

$3,098 €2,713

92.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,335 $5,335

$2,031 €1,779

162.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.7K $13.7K

$7,831 €6,858

75.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,698 $8,698

$4,389 €3,844

98.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,452 $7,452

$1,607 €1,408

363.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.32

3.81

65.88%

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

Last update for San Mateo, CA: July 12, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,778 in San Mateo, CA and $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Mateo, CA pays 364% 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: $64.0 in San Mateo, CA vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $492 vs $267 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 Mateo, CA vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Mateo, CA and Lisbon differ by about 94% in total monthly costs ($4,446 vs $2,291 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 364% higher in San Mateo, CA, 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: $2,778 in San Mateo, CA versus $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,989 in San Mateo, CA versus $616 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 84% higher in San Mateo, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Lisbon 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 Mateo, CA 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 Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 94% less than in San Mateo, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.