Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cartago and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Cartago: $1,713 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

80

Cost of Living Index in Cartago
Learn more

Cartago Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
Learn more

Lisbon Living Index

Jump to prices

Cartago

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,713

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,713 in Cartago versus $2,223 in Lisbon.

Cartago $1,713
Lisbon $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,362 in Cartago versus $3,271 in Lisbon.

Cartago $2,362
Lisbon $3,271

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

Cartago $3,011
Lisbon $4,319

Living in Cartago costs roughly 23% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cartago 27% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.64 ₡3,882

$16.50 €14.73

-47.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.53 ₡15.5K

$61.3 €54.7

-43.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.92 ₡4,458

$11.27 €10.06

-11.98%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,040

$3.06 €2.73

48.37%

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

$2.13 ₡957

$2.26 €2.02

-5.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 ₡611

$1.73 €1.55

-21.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.15 ₡966

$3.39 €3.03

-36.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.06 ₡1,823

$3.40 €3.03

19.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 ₡1,075

$1.12 €1.00

113.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 ₡1,067

$1.86 €1.66

27.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.47 ₡1,112

$1.53 €1.37

61.44%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,604

$3.96 €3.54

-9.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.61 ₡3,868

$12.76 €11.39

-32.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.38 ₡4,664

$7.90 €7.05

31.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.94 ₡6,265

$16.97 €15.15

-17.86%

Apples (1kg)

$5.24 ₡2,356

$2.27 €2.02

130.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 ₡580

$1.75 €1.56

-26.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.49 ₡2,018

$1.85 €1.65

142.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.91 ₡1,309

$2.57 €2.29

13.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 ₡1,006

$1.86 €1.66

20.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 ₡973

$2.02 €1.81

7.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$1.44 €1.29

-24.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 ₡979

$0.82 €0.73

165.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.07 ₡2,728

$6.56 €5.86

-7.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.16 ₡6,810

$5.62 €5.02

169.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.89 ₡1,298

$1.28 €1.14

125.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 ₡914

$2.07 €1.85

-1.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ₡614

$2.35 €2.10

-41.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.2 ₡32.9K

$44.18 €39.45

65.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 ₡600

$3.99 €3.56

-66.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡703

$1.09 €0.97

43.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.95 ₡4,023

$16.64 €14.86

-46.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₡679

$2.28 €2.04

-33.77%

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

$21.7K ₡9.7M

$33.7K €30.1K

-35.58%

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

$35.1K ₡15.8M

$39.3K €35.1K

-10.62%

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

$52.4 ₡23.6K

$167 €150

-68.70%

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

$35.12 ₡15.8K

$18.80 €16.78

86.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.9 ₡26.9K

$33.09 €29.55

80.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$46.01 €41.09

60.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$77.8 ₡34.9K

$19.19 €17.14

305.21%

Cinema Ticket

$7.27 ₡3,268

$9.84 €8.79

-26.12%

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

$549 ₡246.6K

$677 €605

-18.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,878 ₡3.5M

$16.9K €15.1K

-53.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.1 ₡31.5K

$101 €90.4

-30.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.5 ₡25.4K

$45.76 €40.86

23.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 ₡54.5K

$100.0 €89.3

21.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.7 ₡39.4K

$123 €110

-28.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$923 ₡415.0K

$1,614 €1,441

-42.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$704 ₡316.5K

$1,197 €1,069

-41.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,869 ₡839.7K

$2,862 €2,555

-34.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 ₡325.4K

$1,990 €1,777

-63.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,577 €6,766

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,307 €3,846

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,344 ₡604.0K

$1,588 €1,418

-15.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

3.85

123.90%

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

Last update for Cartago: 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

Cartago

$704 41.1%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9% 70% $493

Groceries & Markets

Cartago

$348 20.3%

Lisbon

$269 12.1% 22.6% $79

Eating Out

Cartago

$186 10.9%

Lisbon

$242 10.9% 30.1% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Cartago

$151 8.8%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 10.2% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cartago

$147 8.6%

Lisbon

$219 9.9% 48.8% $72

Sport & Entertainment

Cartago

$88 5.2%

Lisbon

$66 3% 25.6% $23

Getting Around

Cartago

$88 5.1%

Lisbon

$63 2.8% 28.3% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $923 in Cartago and $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 18% 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: $35.00 in Cartago vs $61.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $348 vs $269, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Cartago

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

01:19 1:19 AM

08:19 8:19 AM

7 h ahead of Cartago

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

110,000

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 0.893 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cartago Lisbon 8,010 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Cartago
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

Cartago vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cartago is cheaper overall, especially in eating out and clothing. The 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 18% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $923 in Cartago versus $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cartago runs roughly 66% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $549 in Cartago versus $677 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,713 in Cartago versus $2,223 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Cartago but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Cartago the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cartago 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.

Safety-wise, Cartago 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 Cartago gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.