Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Alajuela Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Alajuela

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,243 in Lisbon versus $1,587 in Alajuela.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $2,357 in Alajuela.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,387 in Lisbon versus $3,126 in Alajuela.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 41% more expensive than Alajuela, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 67% above, Alajuela 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.73 €13.42

$9.71 ₡4,421

62.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 €53.9

$39.07 ₡17.8K

61.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €8.80

$9.48 ₡4,317

8.86%

Cappuccino

$2.81 €2.40

$3.70 ₡1,687

-24.05%

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

$2.33 €1.99

$2.07 ₡943

12.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 €1.29

$1.29 ₡586

17.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 €2.87

$2.16 ₡982

56.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.34

$3.61 ₡1,644

8.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.92

$1.95 ₡887

-44.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.49

$2.47 ₡1,126

-29.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.50

$2.16 ₡983

-18.98%

Eggs

$3.10 €2.64

$2.21 ₡1,008

40.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.28 €11.33

$9.86 ₡4,491

34.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 €6.70

$9.01 ₡4,101

-12.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.05 €13.69

$13.87 ₡6,314

15.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$4.05 ₡1,842

-40.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.47

$1.46 ₡663

17.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$4.34 ₡1,975

-54.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.17

$2.74 ₡1,247

-6.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$2.80 ₡1,275

-36.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$2.56 ₡1,165

-23.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 €1.67

$1.03 ₡469

90.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.71

$2.62 ₡1,192

-67.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.82

$5.11 ₡2,328

33.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.85 €4.99

$21.93 ₡9,988

-73.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$2.17 ₡990

-36.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 €2.49

$2.56 ₡1,164

14.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €1.95

$0.86 ₡393

166.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.88 €39.99

$111 ₡50.4K

-57.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 €3.51

$1.43 ₡653

188.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.69

$1.32 ₡599

-38.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.94 €16.16

$7.79 ₡3,548

143.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.78

$1.39 ₡633

50.36%

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

$35.1K €30.0K

$37.6K ₡17.1M

-6.67%

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

$39.7K €33.9K

$33.0K ₡15.0M

20.21%

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

$150 €128

$44.35 ₡20.2K

237.23%

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

$20.49 €17.48

$20.14 ₡9,171

1.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.15 €33.40

$32.36 ₡14.7K

20.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.35

$64.9 ₡29.5K

-23.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.47 €15.76

$43.69 ₡19.9K

-57.72%

Cinema Ticket

$9.20 €7.84

$8.82 ₡4,017

4.31%

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

$624 €533

$297 ₡135.5K

109.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K €13.6K

$2,314 ₡1.1M

587.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €87.2

$63.3 ₡28.8K

61.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 €34.87

$50.5 ₡23.0K

-19.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 €81.6

$118 ₡53.8K

-19.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €103

$101 ₡46.1K

19.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 €1,410

$705 ₡320.9K

134.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 €1,051

$602 ₡273.9K

104.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,043 €2,596

$987 ₡449.3K

208.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,059 €1,756

$950 ₡432.5K

116.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,879 €6,720

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,303 €3,671

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,566 €1,336

$2,091 ₡952.0K

-25.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

10.17

-62.54%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 21, 2026

Last update for Alajuela: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,653 in Lisbon and $705 in Alajuela. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alajuela pays 33% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63 in Lisbon vs $39 in Alajuela. Groceries flip the comparison at $270 vs $347, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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 Alajuela: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alajuela is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 41% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Alajuela earns 33% less. 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: $1,653 in Lisbon versus $705 in Alajuela. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Alajuela runs roughly 136% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $624 in Lisbon versus $297 in Alajuela. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,587 in Alajuela versus $2,243 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Alajuela but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Alajuela the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Alajuela 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, Lisbon and Alajuela 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 Alajuela gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.