Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Desamparados and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Desamparados: $1,697 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Desamparados, Costa Rica
Lisbon, Portugal
Desamparados
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,697
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,697 per month in Desamparados vs $2,210 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Desamparados $1,697
  • Lisbon $2,210

A couple spends around $2,731 per month in Desamparados vs $3,275 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Desamparados $2,731
  • Lisbon $3,275

A family of three spends $3,765 per month in Desamparados vs $4,341 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Desamparados $3,765
  • Lisbon $4,341

Desamparados is about 23% cheaper than Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Desamparados and Lisbon sit above the global median – Desamparados by 25%, Lisbon by 62%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Desamparados
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.16 ₡5,489
$16.65 €14.92
-26.97%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$53.7 ₡24.3K
$61.7 €55.3
-12.99%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.05 ₡4,990
$11.36 €10.18
-2.73%
Cappuccino
$3.79 ₡1,710
$2.97 €2.66
27.61%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.79 ₡1,259
$2.29 €2.05
21.83%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.70 ₡768
$1.74 €1.56
-2.30%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.81 ₡1,269
$3.40 €3.05
-17.35%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.92 ₡1,771
$3.31 €2.97
18.43%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Desamparados
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.22 ₡1,003
$1.16 €1.04
91.38%
White Bread (500g)
$2.81 ₡1,270
$1.91 €1.71
47.12%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.44 ₡1,101
$1.51 €1.36
61.59%
Eggs
$3.60 ₡1,624
$4.02 €3.60
-10.45%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.27 ₡4,636
$12.94 €11.59
-20.63%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.98 ₡4,505
$7.77 €6.97
28.44%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.22 ₡5,969
$17.76 €15.92
-25.56%
Apples (1kg)
$5.05 ₡2,280
$2.30 €2.06
119.57%
Banana (1kg)
$1.56 ₡703
$1.73 €1.55
-9.83%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.52 ₡1,590
$1.86 €1.66
89.25%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.09 ₡1,395
$2.59 €2.32
19.31%
Potato (1kg)
$2.82 ₡1,274
$1.82 €1.63
54.95%
Onion (1kg)
$2.89 ₡1,304
$1.97 €1.76
46.70%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.13 ₡508
$1.47 €1.32
-23.13%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.64 ₡1,190
$0.72 €0.65
266.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.78 ₡2,611
$6.58 €5.90
-12.16%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.33 ₡8,273
$5.61 €5.02
226.74%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.56 ₡1,156
$1.36 €1.22
88.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.99 ₡1,352
$2.14 €1.91
39.72%
🚌 Getting Around
Desamparados
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.29 ₡583
$2.33 €2.09
-44.64%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$44.68 €40.04
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.18 ₡986
$3.85 €3.45
-43.38%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.82 ₡822
$1.07 €0.96
70.09%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.93 ₡4,033
$16.46 €14.75
-45.75%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.52 ₡686
$2.20 €1.97
-30.91%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.6K ₡15.2M
$34.2K €30.6K
-1.67%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.6K ₡16.5M
$38.7K €34.7K
-5.61%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Desamparados
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$83.8 ₡37.8K
$161 €144
-48.02%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.77 ₡12.1K
$18.41 €16.50
45.41%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$66.8 ₡30.2K
$32.74 €29.34
104.09%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Desamparados
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$63.1 ₡28.5K
$44.55 €39.92
41.73%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$19.10 €17.11
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.25 ₡3,273
$9.60 €8.60
-24.48%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Desamparados
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$846 ₡382.0K
$668 €598
26.73%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.2K ₡7.8M
$17.6K €15.8K
-2.38%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Desamparados
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$76.4 ₡34.5K
$102 €91.4
-25.07%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.1 ₡26.2K
$44.46 €39.85
30.59%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$121 ₡54.6K
$98.5 €88.3
22.71%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$141 ₡63.5K
$124 €111
13.81%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Desamparados
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$824 ₡372.0K
$1,608 €1,441
-48.77%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$667 ₡301.1K
$1,190 €1,066
-43.95%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,711 ₡772.6K
$2,812 €2,520
-39.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,449 ₡654.1K
$2,013 €1,804
-28.03%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$7,839 €7,025
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$4,576 €4,100
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Desamparados
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,575 €1,411
-
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 Desamparados: October 24, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Desamparados
$667
Lisbon
$1.2K 78.4% $523
Groceries & Markets
Desamparados
$365
Lisbon
$272 25.4% $93
Eating Out
Desamparados
$216
Lisbon
$243 12.5% $27
Clothing & Footwear
Desamparados
$178
Lisbon
$166 6.9% $12
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Desamparados
$177
Lisbon
$212 19.7% $35
Sport & Entertainment
Desamparados
$78
Lisbon
$64 17.9% $14
Getting Around
Desamparados
$16 *
Lisbon
$63 284% $47

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $824 in Desamparados versus $1,608 in Lisbon. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54 in Desamparados versus $62 in Lisbon. Groceries tell a different story – $365 in Desamparados vs $272 in Lisbon – so Lisbon wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇨🇷 Desamparados
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
02:59 2:59 AM
08:59 8:59 AM
6 h ahead of Desamparados
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
38,000
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Desamparados Lisbon 8,020 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Desamparados
  • 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
Desamparados vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Desamparados and in Lisbon compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,697 in Desamparados, $2,210 in Lisbon – Desamparados comes out roughly 23% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.
What salary covers living expenses in Desamparados compared to Lisbon?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,546 per month in Desamparados and $3,315 in Lisbon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Desamparados and Lisbon?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Desamparados, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $824 there versus $1,608 in Lisbon.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $54 in Desamparados and $62 in Lisbon. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Interestingly, groceries are about 25% cheaper in Lisbon – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.
How far does $3,000 go in Desamparados compared to Lisbon?
$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,697 in Desamparados and $2,210 in Lisbon, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
How does quality of life compare between Desamparados and Lisbon?
It depends on your priorities. Lisbon has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,697 in Desamparados to $2,210 in Lisbon. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Desamparados or Lisbon safer for residents?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

Desamparados vs other spots: cost of living compared

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