Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Escazu and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Escazu: $1,933 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

94

Cost of Living Index in Escazu
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Escazu Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
Learn more

Lisbon Living Index

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Escazu

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,933

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,933 in Escazu versus $2,223 in Lisbon.

Escazu $1,933
Lisbon $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,966 in Escazu versus $3,271 in Lisbon.

Escazu $2,966
Lisbon $3,271

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,999 in Escazu versus $4,319 in Lisbon.

Escazu $3,999
Lisbon $4,319

Living in Escazu costs roughly 13% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Escazu 43% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.23 ₡5,486

$16.50 €14.67

-25.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.1 ₡27.9K

$61.3 €54.5

1.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.48 ₡5,146

$11.27 €10.03

1.86%

Cappuccino

$4.56 ₡2,045

$3.06 €2.72

49.02%

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

$2.72 ₡1,218

$2.26 €2.01

20.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 ₡828

$1.73 €1.54

6.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.36 ₡1,505

$3.39 €3.02

-0.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,006

$3.40 €3.02

31.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 ₡1,040

$1.12 €1.00

107.14%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 ₡1,397

$1.86 €1.65

67.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 ₡1,117

$1.53 €1.36

62.75%

Eggs

$3.59 ₡1,611

$3.96 €3.53

-9.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.61 ₡4,757

$12.76 €11.35

-16.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.22 ₡4,581

$7.90 €7.02

29.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.94 ₡6,252

$16.97 €15.09

-17.86%

Apples (1kg)

$5.13 ₡2,301

$2.27 €2.02

125.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ₡726

$1.75 €1.55

-7.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.16 ₡1,416

$1.85 €1.64

70.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 ₡1,378

$2.57 €2.28

19.46%

Potato (1kg)

$3.79 ₡1,698

$1.86 €1.65

103.76%

Onion (1kg)

$3.73 ₡1,674

$2.02 €1.80

84.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 ₡465

$1.44 €1.28

-27.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₡762

$0.82 €0.73

107.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.53 ₡2,479

$6.56 €5.83

-15.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.39 ₡8,249

$5.62 €5.00

227.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 ₡745

$1.28 €1.14

29.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ₡1,202

$2.07 €1.84

29.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 ₡491

$2.35 €2.09

-53.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.18 €39.30

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 ₡923

$3.99 €3.55

-48.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡704

$1.09 €0.97

44.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.76 ₡3,927

$16.64 €14.81

-47.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₡664

$2.28 €2.03

-35.09%

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

$22.4K ₡10.1M

$33.7K €30.0K

-33.43%

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

$35.2K ₡15.8M

$39.3K €35.0K

-10.45%

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

$94.6 ₡42.4K

$167 €149

-43.55%

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

$29.81 ₡13.4K

$18.80 €16.72

58.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.1 ₡27.0K

$33.09 €29.43

81.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$108 ₡48.6K

$46.01 €40.93

135.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.15 ₡4,550

$19.19 €17.07

-47.11%

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ₡3,502

$9.84 €8.75

-20.63%

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

$457 ₡204.9K

$677 €602

-32.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ₡7.6M

$16.9K €15.1K

-0.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.1 ₡31.9K

$101 €90.1

-29.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.7 ₡25.0K

$45.76 €40.70

21.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 ₡58.6K

$100.0 €88.9

30.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₡58.4K

$123 €109

6.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$834 ₡373.9K

$1,614 €1,436

-48.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$845 ₡378.8K

$1,197 €1,065

-29.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,961 ₡879.3K

$2,862 €2,545

-31.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,508 ₡676.4K

$1,990 €1,770

-24.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,407 ₡630.8K

$7,577 €6,740

-81.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$972 ₡435.7K

$4,307 €3,831

-77.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,746 ₡782.8K

$1,588 €1,412

9.94%

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 Escazu: October 10, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Escazu

$845 43.7%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9% 41.7% $352

Groceries & Markets

Escazu

$361 18.7%

Lisbon

$269 12.1% 25.3% $91

Eating Out

Escazu

$231 12%

Lisbon

$242 10.9% 4.9% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Escazu

$184 9.5%

Lisbon

$219 9.9% 18.9% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Escazu

$174 9%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 4.6% $8.1

Sport & Entertainment

Escazu

$124 6.4%

Lisbon

$66 3% 47% $58

Getting Around

Escazu

$14 * 0.7%

Lisbon

$63 2.8% 341% $49

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 $834 in Escazu and $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Escazu pays 10% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $62.0 in Escazu vs $61.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $361 vs $269 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Escazu

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

05:36 5:36 AM

12:36 12:36 PM

7 h ahead of Escazu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,984

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

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

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Escazu Lisbon 8,020 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Escazu
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

Escazu vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Escazu is cheaper overall, especially in eating out and transport. The 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 10% higher in Escazu, 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: $834 in Escazu versus $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 34% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,933 per month in Escazu versus $2,223 in Lisbon – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,933 in Escazu versus $2,223 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Escazu but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Escazu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Escazu 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, Escazu 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 Escazu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.