Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Boquete and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Boquete: $1,462 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Boquete
🇵🇦 Panama
$1,462
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,223
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,462 in Boquete versus $2,223 in Lisbon.

  • Boquete $1,462
  • Lisbon $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Boquete versus $3,271 in Lisbon.

  • Boquete $2,237
  • Lisbon $3,271

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,011 in Boquete versus $4,319 in Lisbon.

  • Boquete $3,011
  • Lisbon $4,319

Living in Boquete costs roughly 34% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Boquete 8% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Boquete
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.48 PAB 6.48
$16.50 €14.67
-60.73%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$39.69 PAB 39.69
$61.3 €54.5
-35.20%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.65 PAB 7.65
$11.27 €10.03
-32.12%
Cappuccino
$3.88 PAB 3.88
$3.06 €2.72
26.80%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.36 PAB 1.36
$2.26 €2.01
-39.82%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.15 PAB 1.15
$1.73 €1.54
-33.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.27 PAB 2.27
$3.39 €3.02
-33.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.08 PAB 5.08
$3.40 €3.02
49.41%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Boquete
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.81 PAB 1.81
$1.12 €1.00
61.61%
White Bread (500g)
$2.15 PAB 2.15
$1.86 €1.65
15.59%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.25 PAB 2.25
$1.53 €1.36
47.06%
Eggs
$2.60 PAB 2.60
$3.96 €3.53
-34.34%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.62 PAB 9.62
$12.76 €11.35
-24.61%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.53 PAB 7.53
$7.90 €7.02
-4.68%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.28 PAB 15.28
$16.97 €15.09
-9.96%
Apples (1kg)
$4.33 PAB 4.33
$2.27 €2.02
90.75%
Banana (1kg)
$1.01 PAB 1.01
$1.75 €1.55
-42.29%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.40 PAB 4.40
$1.85 €1.64
137.84%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.23 PAB 2.23
$2.57 €2.28
-13.23%
Potato (1kg)
$2.21 PAB 2.21
$1.86 €1.65
18.82%
Onion (1kg)
$2.14 PAB 2.14
$2.02 €1.80
5.94%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.30 PAB 2.30
$1.44 €1.28
59.72%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.65 PAB 1.65
$0.82 €0.73
101.22%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.02 PAB 5.02
$6.56 €5.83
-23.48%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.85 PAB 7.85
$5.62 €5.00
39.68%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.20 PAB 1.20
$1.28 €1.14
-6.25%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.59 PAB 2.59
$2.07 €1.84
25.12%
🚌 Getting Around
Boquete
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.35 PAB 1.35
$2.35 €2.09
-42.55%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$24.55 PAB 24.55
$44.18 €39.30
-44.43%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.02 PAB 1.02
$3.99 €3.55
-74.44%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.06 PAB 2.06
$1.09 €0.97
88.99%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$30.39 PAB 30.39
$16.64 €14.81
82.63%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.13 PAB 1.13
$2.28 €2.03
-50.44%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$25.5K PAB 25.5K
$33.7K €30.0K
-24.16%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.1K PAB 22.1K
$39.3K €35.0K
-43.88%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Boquete
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$58.0 PAB 58.0
$167 €149
-65.36%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.95 PAB 25.95
$18.80 €16.72
38.03%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.16 PAB 42.16
$33.09 €29.43
27.41%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Boquete
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$82.5 PAB 82.5
$46.01 €40.93
79.31%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.48 PAB 17.48
$19.19 €17.07
-8.91%
Cinema Ticket
$6.33 PAB 6.33
$9.84 €8.75
-35.67%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Boquete
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
-
$677 €602
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,075 PAB 6,075
$16.9K €15.1K
-64.10%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Boquete
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$25.42 PAB 25.42
$101 €90.1
-74.89%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$25.48 PAB 25.48
$45.76 €40.70
-44.32%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$44.14 PAB 44.14
$100.0 €88.9
-55.86%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
-
$123 €109
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Boquete
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$825 PAB 825
$1,614 €1,436
-48.88%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$710 PAB 710
$1,197 €1,065
-40.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,551 PAB 1,551
$2,862 €2,545
-45.79%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,284 PAB 1,284
$1,990 €1,770
-35.46%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,181 PAB 1,181
$7,577 €6,740
-84.41%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,150 PAB 1,150
$4,307 €3,831
-73.31%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Boquete
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$784 PAB 784
$1,588 €1,412
-50.60%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.5
3.85
68.83%

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

Last update for Boquete: 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
Boquete
$710
Lisbon
$1.2K 68.7% $488
Groceries & Markets
Boquete
$295
Lisbon
$269 8.6% $25
Eating Out
Boquete
$153
Lisbon
$242 58.5% $89
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Boquete
$126
Lisbon
$219 73.9% $93
Sport & Entertainment
Boquete
$95
Lisbon
$66 31% $29
Clothing & Footwear
Boquete
$43 *
Lisbon
$166 289% $124
Getting Around
Boquete
$41
Lisbon
$63 52.6% $22

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $825 in Boquete and $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 102% 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: $40.00 in Boquete vs $61.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $295 vs $269, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇵🇦 Boquete
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
11:58 11:58 AM
17:58 5:58 PM
6 h ahead of Boquete
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
7,000
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to PAB – Panamanian Balboa Converter

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.89 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Boquete Lisbon 7,950 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Boquete
  • 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
Boquete vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lisbon cheaper than Boquete?
Boquete is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and transport. The 52% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Boquete or Lisbon?
On paper, salaries run 102% lower in Lisbon. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Boquete and Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $825 in Boquete versus $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Boquete and in Lisbon?
Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
What are total monthly expenses in Boquete and in Lisbon?
All in, you'll spend $1,462 per month in Boquete versus $2,223 in Lisbon – a 52% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Boquete or in Lisbon?
At $1,462 in Boquete versus $2,223 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Boquete but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Boquete the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Boquete or Lisbon more family-friendly?
For families, Boquete is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lisbon, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Boquete or Lisbon?
Safety-wise, Boquete 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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Boquete gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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