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Lisbon vs Tokyo cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ต๐น Lisbon
๐ฏ๐ต Tokyo
At a glance
- Where Tokyo is clearly cheaper: Scooter rental (71%โ), Local meal (47%โ), Massage (36%โ)
- Where Lisbon is clearly cheaper: Laundry (57%โ), Taxi (50%โ), Coffee (43%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Tokyo is easier to travel (1.6 vs 2.0). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Lisbon 2 vs Tokyo 1. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Lisbon | Tokyo | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โฌ 12$14 | ยฅ 1,100$7.43 | Tokyo โ47% |
| Street food1 item | โฌ 4$4.65 | ยฅ 500$3.38 | Tokyo โ27% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โฌ 30$34.9 | ยฅ 4,000$27 | Tokyo โ23% |
| Coffeeone cup | โฌ 2$2.33 | ยฅ 600$4.05 | Lisbon โ43% |
| Beerone bottle | โฌ 2.5$2.91 | ยฅ 650$4.39 | Lisbon โ34% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โฌ 9$10.5 | ยฅ 1,500$10.1 | similar |
| Bottled water | โฌ 0.8$0.93 | ยฅ 130$0.88 | Tokyo โ6% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โฌ 1.5$1.74 | ยฅ 180$1.22 | Tokyo โ30% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โฌ 7$8.14 | ยฅ 2,400$16.2 | Lisbon โ50% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โฌ 5$5.81 | ยฅ 1,000$6.76 | Lisbon โ14% |
| Transitone ride | โฌ 1.9$2.21 | ยฅ 210$1.42 | Tokyo โ36% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โฌ 40$46.5 | ยฅ 2,000$13.5 | Tokyo โ71% |
| Hotel night3-star | โฌ 140$163 | ยฅ 16,000$108 | Tokyo โ34% |
| Studio rent (month) | โฌ 1,300$1,512 | ยฅ 150,000$1,014 | Tokyo โ33% |
| Laundry | โฌ 2.5$2.91 | ยฅ 1,000$6.76 | Lisbon โ57% |
| SIM card1 week data | โฌ 15$17.4 | ยฅ 2,500$16.9 | similar |
| Haircutcut | โฌ 15$17.4 | ยฅ 4,000$27 | Lisbon โ35% |
| Massage1 hour | โฌ 50$58.1 | ยฅ 5,500$37.2 | Tokyo โ36% |
| Half-day tourper person | โฌ 40$46.5 | ยฅ 9,000$60.8 | Lisbon โ24% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โฌ 15$17.4 | ยฅ 2,000$13.5 | Tokyo โ23% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Lisbon or Tokyo?
Tokyo is 24% cheaper than Lisbon. Daily budget $272 vs $212; a month $5,020 vs $3,723.
Which is easier to travel, Lisbon or Tokyo?
Tokyo is easier: Tokyo 1.6/5 vs Lisbon 2.0/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Lisbon and Tokyo?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Lisbon is about $5,020 and Tokyo about $3,723 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.