Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Acosta

For one person, living is cheaper in Acosta: $1,672 a month against $2,206 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

106

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
81

Cost of Living Index in Acosta
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Acosta Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,206

/mo nomad

Acosta

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,672

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Acosta

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Acosta actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,206 in Lisbon versus $1,672 in Acosta.

Lisbon $2,206
Acosta $1,672

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,276 in Lisbon versus $2,657 in Acosta.

Lisbon $3,276
Acosta $2,657

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $3,642 in Acosta.

Lisbon $4,346
Acosta $3,642

Living in Lisbon is roughly 32% more expensive than in Acosta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 63% above, Acosta 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.86 €15.08

$11.97 ₡5,382

40.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.0 €54.6

$58.9 ₡26.5K

3.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.98 €9.82

$11.77 ₡5,292

-6.71%

Cappuccino

$3.05 €2.73

$4.30 ₡1,936

-29.07%

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

$2.28 €2.04

$2.54 ₡1,142

-10.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 €1.50

$1.91 ₡860

-12.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.44 €3.07

$3.37 ₡1,515

2.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.49

$4.47 ₡2,009

-12.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.03

$2.44 ₡1,096

-52.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 €1.69

$2.71 ₡1,220

-30.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.34

$2.44 ₡1,099

-38.52%

Eggs

$4.12 €3.68

$3.60 ₡1,617

14.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.01 €11.63

$10.74 ₡4,828

21.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.04 €7.19

$10.22 ₡4,597

-21.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.89 €16.00

$13.95 ₡6,275

28.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 €2.03

$5.16 ₡2,320

-56.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.56

$1.57 ₡708

10.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 €1.63

$3.33 ₡1,497

-45.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.69 €2.40

$3.45 ₡1,553

-22.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.58

$3.02 ₡1,358

-41.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 €1.73

$3.23 ₡1,452

-39.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 €1.31

$1.03 ₡463

41.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 €0.68

$2.60 ₡1,171

-70.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.66 €5.95

$5.75 ₡2,586

15.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.64 €5.04

$16.66 ₡7,493

-66.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.15

$2.61 ₡1,172

-50.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.91

$2.64 ₡1,188

-18.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.30 €2.06

$1.33 ₡599

72.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.02 €39.36

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.98 €3.56

$2.51 ₡1,128

58.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 €0.57

$1.56 ₡703

-58.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.93 €16.92

$8.49 ₡3,817

122.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.03

$1.53 ₡687

49.02%

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

$33.4K €29.8K

$34.1K ₡15.3M

-2.11%

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

$38.5K €34.4K

$41.1K ₡18.5M

-6.22%

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

$158 €141

$95.2 ₡42.8K

66.11%

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

$17.54 €15.68

$30.00 ₡13.5K

-41.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.18 €27.89

$58.8 ₡26.4K

-46.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.64 €39.92

$67.5 ₡30.4K

-33.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.98 €16.97

Cinema Ticket

$9.58 €8.56

$7.59 ₡3,415

26.22%

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

$674 €602

$837 ₡376.3K

-19.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.7K €16.7K

$17.4K ₡7.8M

7.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.4

$71.3 ₡32.1K

43.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.90 €41.04

$56.6 ₡25.5K

-18.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €91.4

$128 ₡57.7K

-20.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €109

$131 ₡59.1K

-7.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 €1,467

$793 ₡356.4K

106.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 €1,062

$620 ₡278.7K

91.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,825 €2,526

$1,924 ₡865.4K

46.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,018 €1,805

$1,256 ₡564.6K

60.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,836 €7,007

$1,921 ₡863.7K

307.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,701 €4,204

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,687 €1,508

$1,506 ₡677.3K

12.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.82

8.62

-55.68%

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

Last update for Lisbon: November 1, 2026

Last update for Acosta: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Acosta

$620 37.1% 47.8% $568

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$275 12.5%

Acosta

$369 22.1% 34.5% $95

Eating Out

Lisbon

$245 11.1%

Acosta

$226 13.5% 7.7% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$207 9.4%

Acosta

$184 11% 11.1% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$168 7.6%

Acosta

$174 10.4% 4.1% $6.9

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Acosta

$83 4.9% 29.6% $19

Getting Around

Lisbon

$60 2.7%

Acosta

$16 * 0.9% 74.1% $45

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 $1,641 in Lisbon and $793 in Acosta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 12% 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: $61 in Lisbon vs $59 in Acosta. Groceries flip the comparison at $275 vs $369, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇨🇷 Acosta

🕒 Local time

13:07 1:07 PM

07:07 7:07 AM

6 h behind Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

3,072

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 0.894 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lisbon Acosta 8,030 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Acosta

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

Lisbon vs Acosta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,206 in Lisbon and $1,672 in Acosta, so Acosta is about 24% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 12% higher in Lisbon, 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: $1,641 in Lisbon versus $793 in Acosta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 26% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you’ll spend $2,206 per month in Lisbon versus $1,672 in Acosta – Acosta is about 24% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Acosta gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Acosta are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Acosta wins on affordability, Lisbon on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.