Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Rafael, CA and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,223 a month against $4,929 in San Rafael, CA, rent and utilities included – about $32,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

238

Cost of Living Index in San Rafael, CA
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San Rafael, CA Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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San Rafael, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,929

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,929 in San Rafael, CA versus $2,223 in Lisbon.

San Rafael, CA $4,929
Lisbon $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,391 in San Rafael, CA versus $3,271 in Lisbon.

San Rafael, CA $6,391
Lisbon $3,271

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,853 in San Rafael, CA versus $4,319 in Lisbon.

San Rafael, CA $7,853
Lisbon $4,319

Living in San Rafael, CA is roughly 122% more expensive than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Rafael, CA 265% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.68 $24.68

$16.50 €14.67

49.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 $120

$61.3 €54.5

95.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.05 $12.05

$11.27 €10.03

6.92%

Cappuccino

$4.74 $4.74

$3.06 €2.72

54.90%

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

$3.03 $3.03

$2.26 €2.01

34.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 $2.93

$1.73 €1.54

69.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.38 $5.38

$3.39 €3.02

58.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.98 $6.98

$3.40 €3.02

105.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.12 €1.00

26.79%

White Bread (500g)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.86 €1.65

142.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$9.69 $9.69

$1.53 €1.36

533.33%

Eggs

$5.42 $5.42

$3.96 €3.53

36.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.21 $23.21

$12.76 €11.35

81.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.45 $15.45

$7.90 €7.02

95.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.15 $18.15

$16.97 €15.09

6.95%

Apples (1kg)

$7.63 $7.63

$2.27 €2.02

236.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$1.75 €1.55

67.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.29 $6.29

$1.85 €1.64

240.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.58 $8.58

$2.57 €2.28

233.85%

Potato (1kg)

$5.89 $5.89

$1.86 €1.65

216.67%

Onion (1kg)

$5.44 $5.44

$2.02 €1.80

169.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.07 $3.07

$1.44 €1.28

113.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.89 $3.89

$0.82 €0.73

374.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.85 $10.85

$6.56 €5.83

65.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.96 $12.96

$5.62 €5.00

130.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.28 €1.14

74.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 $2.99

$2.07 €1.84

44.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.35 €2.09

-12.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.7 $65.7

$44.18 €39.30

48.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.10 $4.10

$3.99 €3.55

2.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.44 $4.44

$1.09 €0.97

307.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.84 $28.84

$16.64 €14.81

73.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 $1.44

$2.28 €2.03

-36.84%

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

$32.0K $32.0K

$33.7K €30.0K

-4.85%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$39.3K €35.0K

-32.72%

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

$253 $253

$167 €149

51.33%

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

$85.4 $85.4

$18.80 €16.72

354.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$33.09 €29.43

85.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$124 $124

$46.01 €40.93

169.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.21 $30.21

$19.19 €17.07

57.43%

Cinema Ticket

$13.14 $13.14

$9.84 €8.75

33.54%

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

$2,088 $2,088

$677 €602

208.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.1K $25.1K

$16.9K €15.1K

48.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 $59.7

$101 €90.1

-41.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.92 $42.92

$45.76 €40.70

-6.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.8 $96.8

$100.0 €88.9

-3.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 $126

$123 €109

2.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,074 $3,074

$1,614 €1,436

90.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,202 $3,202

$1,197 €1,065

167.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,278 $4,278

$2,862 €2,545

49.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 $3,860

$1,990 €1,770

93.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,456 $7,456

$7,577 €6,740

-1.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,281 $5,281

$4,307 €3,831

22.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,077 $7,077

$1,588 €1,412

345.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

3.85

71.95%

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

Last update for San Rafael, CA: October 11, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Rafael, CA

$3.2K 65%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9% 62.6% $2K

Groceries & Markets

San Rafael, CA

$575 11.7%

Lisbon

$269 12.1% 53.2% $306

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Rafael, CA

$400 8.1%

Lisbon

$219 9.9% 45.2% $181

Eating Out

San Rafael, CA

$355 7.2%

Lisbon

$242 10.9% 31.8% $113

Sport & Entertainment

San Rafael, CA

$150 3%

Lisbon

$66 3% 56.2% $84

Clothing & Footwear

San Rafael, CA

$147 3%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 13.5% $20

Getting Around

San Rafael, CA

$100 2%

Lisbon

$63 2.8% 37.1% $37

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,074 in San Rafael, CA and $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Rafael, CA pays 346% 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: $120 in San Rafael, CA vs $61.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $575 vs $269 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 San Rafael, CA

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

12:24 12:24 PM

20:24 8:24 PM

8 h ahead of San Rafael, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

58,704

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

San Rafael, CA Lisbon 9,110 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

San Rafael, CA
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.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

San Rafael, CA vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Rafael, CA and Lisbon differ by about 122% in total monthly costs ($4,929 vs $2,223 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 346% higher in San Rafael, 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: $3,074 in San Rafael, CA versus $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,088 in San Rafael, CA versus $677 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 114% higher in San Rafael, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,223 in Lisbon versus $4,929 in San Rafael, CA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in San Rafael, CA. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon 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 Rafael, 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 122% less than in San Rafael, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.