Cost of Living Comparison Between Watertown, SD and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Watertown, SD and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,487 in Watertown, SD versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,552 in Watertown, SD versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,617 in Watertown, SD versus $4,411 in Lisbon.

Living in Watertown, SD is roughly 13% more expensive than Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Watertown, SD 86% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.75 $14.75

$15.91 €13.70

-7.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.3 $57.3

$64.8 €55.8

-11.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.84 $9.84

$10.51 €9.05

-6.37%

Cappuccino

$5.10 $5.10

$2.87 €2.47

77.70%

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

$2.78 $2.78

$2.24 €1.93

24.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.50 €1.30

34.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.88 $5.88

$3.49 €3.01

68.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.08 $7.08

$3.88 €3.34

82.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.14 €0.98

-16.67%

White Bread (500g)

$4.16 $4.16

$1.75 €1.51

137.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.79 $3.79

$1.76 €1.51

115.34%

Eggs

$3.31 $3.31

$3.22 €2.77

2.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.39 $9.39

$13.49 €11.62

-30.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.74 $11.74

$7.91 €6.81

48.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.34 $9.34

$15.87 €13.67

-41.15%

Apples (1kg)

$4.92 $4.92

$2.31 €1.99

112.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.70 €1.46

-32.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.93 $5.93

$2.01 €1.73

195.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.09 $5.09

$2.46 €2.12

106.91%

Potato (1kg)

$3.94 $3.94

$1.84 €1.59

114.13%

Onion (1kg)

$3.77 $3.77

$2.00 €1.72

88.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.93 €1.66

1.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 $2.00

$0.79 €0.68

153.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.27 $8.27

$6.61 €5.69

25.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.81 $15.81

$5.72 €4.93

176.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.37 €1.18

29.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 $4.47

$2.97 €2.56

50.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.37 €2.04

-14.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.23

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.99 $4.99

$4.29 €3.69

16.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 $1.38

$0.82 €0.70

68.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.09 $29.09

$18.30 €15.76

58.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$2.06 €1.78

-57.77%

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

$34.9K $34.9K

$34.3K €29.5K

1.82%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$39.3K €33.8K

-33.72%

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

$127 $127

$148 €127

-13.90%

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

$48.19 $48.19

$20.52 €17.67

134.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.0 $54.0

$39.61 €34.11

36.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.74 $42.74

$47.85 €41.20

-10.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

Cinema Ticket

$13.76 $13.76

$9.18 €7.91

49.89%

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

$1,440 $1,440

$614 €529

134.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.1K $30.1K

$16.0K €13.8K

87.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.42 $39.42

$105 €90.1

-62.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.93 $41.93

$42.06 €36.22

-0.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.8 $75.8

$94.0 €80.9

-19.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 $123

$120 €103

2.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,616 $1,616

$1,628 €1,402

-0.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,371 $1,371

$1,255 €1,081

9.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,651 $2,651

$3,030 €2,609

-12.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,218 $2,218

$2,020 €1,740

9.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,744 $2,744

$7,800 €6,716

-64.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,443 $2,443

$4,273 €3,679

-42.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,592 $2,592

$1,603 €1,381

61.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

3.81

68.77%

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

Last update for Watertown, SD: May 31, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,616 in Watertown, SD and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Watertown, SD pays 62% 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: $57.0 in Watertown, SD vs $65.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $376 vs $269, 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

Watertown, SD vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Watertown, SD and Lisbon differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($2,487 vs $2,210 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Watertown, SD pays 62% more on average, 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: $1,616 in Watertown, SD versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Watertown, SD. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,487 per month in Watertown, SD versus $2,210 in Lisbon – a 13% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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, Watertown, SD 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 13% less than in Watertown, SD. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.