Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Cartago, Costa Rica

For one person, living is cheaper in Cartago: $1,733 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Cartago
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Cartago Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Cartago

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,733

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Cartago

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 Cartago actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,733 in Cartago.

Lisbon $2,210
Cartago $1,733

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $2,363 in Cartago.

Lisbon $3,275
Cartago $2,363

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $2,993 in Cartago.

Lisbon $4,341
Cartago $2,993

Living in Lisbon is roughly 28% more expensive than in Cartago, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Cartago 27% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.92

$8.61 ₡3,886

93.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.3

$35.63 ₡16.1K

73.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.18

$9.75 ₡4,400

16.51%

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.66

$4.55 ₡2,056

-34.73%

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

$2.29 €2.05

$2.24 ₡1,013

2.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.56

$1.37 ₡618

27.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.05

$2.15 ₡972

58.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.97

$4.20 ₡1,896

-21.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.04

$2.39 ₡1,079

-51.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.71

$2.48 ₡1,118

-22.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.36

$2.42 ₡1,093

-37.60%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.60

$3.59 ₡1,622

11.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.59

$8.73 ₡3,940

48.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.97

$10.61 ₡4,788

-26.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.92

$13.93 ₡6,288

27.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.06

$5.05 ₡2,279

-54.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.55

$1.33 ₡601

30.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.66

$4.37 ₡1,975

-57.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.32

$2.99 ₡1,350

-13.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.63

$2.16 ₡977

-15.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$2.25 ₡1,015

-12.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

$1.07 ₡484

37.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

$2.18 ₡985

-66.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.90

$5.98 ₡2,700

10.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.02

$15.61 ₡7,047

-64.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

$2.85 ₡1,286

-52.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.91

$2.02 ₡911

5.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.09

$1.27 ₡571

83.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.04

$74.1 ₡33.5K

-39.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.45

$1.31 ₡591

193.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

$1.57 ₡711

-31.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.75

$8.73 ₡3,941

88.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.97

$1.50 ₡675

46.67%

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

$34.2K €30.6K

$34.7K ₡15.7M

-1.43%

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

$38.7K €34.7K

$42.3K ₡19.1M

-8.42%

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

$161 €144

$53.0 ₡23.9K

204.19%

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

$18.41 €16.50

$36.31 ₡16.4K

-49.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.34

$60.0 ₡27.1K

-45.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €39.92

$68.0 ₡30.7K

-34.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.11

$77.5 ₡35.0K

-75.36%

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.60

$7.16 ₡3,234

34.08%

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

$668 €598

$559 ₡252.2K

19.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

$7,872 ₡3.6M

123.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.4

$72.8 ₡32.9K

40.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.85

$56.8 ₡25.7K

-21.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.3

$121 ₡54.8K

-18.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$87.1 ₡39.3K

42.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,441

$733 ₡331.0K

119.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,066

$725 ₡327.1K

64.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,520

$1,920 ₡866.9K

46.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,804

$702 ₡316.8K

186.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,025

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,100

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,411

$1,305 ₡589.0K

20.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

8.62

-55.34%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Cartago: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Cartago

$725 41.8% 39.1% $465

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Cartago

$350 20.2% 28.6% $78

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

Cartago

$186 10.8% 23.2% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Cartago

$149 8.6% 29.7% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Cartago

$152 8.8% 8.3% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Cartago

$82 4.8% 29.1% $19

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Cartago

$88 5.1% 39.8% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $733 in Cartago. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 21% 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: $62 in Lisbon vs $36 in Cartago. Groceries flip the comparison at $272 vs $350, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇨🇷 Cartago

🕒 Local time

09:03 9:03 AM

03:03 3:03 AM

6 h behind Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

110,000

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lisbon Cartago 8,010 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Cartago

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 Cartago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cartago is about 22% cheaper overall, especially in eating out and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 21% 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: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $733 in Cartago. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Lisbon runs roughly 40% less than in Cartago. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $668 in Lisbon versus $559 in Cartago. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $2,500 a month, though Cartago 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 Cartago are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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