Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Cayo Coco Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Cayo Coco

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,231 in Cayo Coco.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,675 in Cayo Coco.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $2,119 in Cayo Coco.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 80% more expensive than Cayo Coco, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Cayo Coco is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$5.08 CUP 122

213.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$14.98 CUP 359

332.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$7.07 CUP 170

48.66%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$1.02 CUP 24.46

181.37%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$2.04 CUP 48.85

9.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.98 CUP 23.49

53.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$2.04 CUP 49.02

71.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$2.98 CUP 71.6

30.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$3.09 CUP 74.1

-63.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.98 CUP 23.42

78.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.98 CUP 47.56

-11.11%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$3.63 CUP 87.2

-11.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$5.97 CUP 143

125.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$5.14 CUP 123

53.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$9.97 CUP 239

59.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$4.90 CUP 118

-52.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$0.98 CUP 23.53

73.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.02 CUP 24.46

97.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.02 CUP 24.51

141.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$0.97 CUP 23.30

89.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$2.91 CUP 69.9

-31.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.98 CUP 23.40

96.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$1.01 CUP 24.29

-21.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$3.01 CUP 72.4

119.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$9.92 CUP 238

-42.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.97 CUP 47.30

-30.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.98 CUP 47.62

50.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$19.90 CUP 478

128.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$1.02 CUP 24.42

320.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.01 CUP 24.27

-18.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$19.96 CUP 479

-8.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.99 CUP 23.76

108.08%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$70.2K CUP 1.7M

-51.19%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$80.7K CUP 1.9M

-51.29%

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

$148 €127

$40.10 CUP 962

268.75%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$39.74 CUP 954

-48.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$219 CUP 5,245

-81.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$40.32 CUP 968

18.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$10.14 CUP 243

86.59%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$1.02 CUP 24.46

800.00%

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

$614 €528

$89.5 CUP 2,147

586.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$14.7K CUP 353.1K

9.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$39.86 CUP 957

162.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$29.57 CUP 710

42.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$76.1 CUP 1,825

23.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$80.1 CUP 1,923

49.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$401 CUP 9,623

305.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$419 CUP 10.1K

199.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$1,050 CUP 25.2K

188.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$631 CUP 15.1K

220.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$305 CUP 7,331

2453.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$350 CUP 8,403

1120.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$20.05 CUP 481

7897.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

-61.90%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Cayo Coco: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $401 in Cayo Coco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 7897% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $15.00 in Cayo Coco for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $235 per month, with Cayo Coco cheaper across the board.

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 Cayo Coco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cayo Coco wins on cost – living expenses run 80% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cayo Coco the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Lisbon pays 7897% more on average, 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $401 in Cayo Coco. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cayo Coco runs roughly 129% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $89.5 in Cayo Coco. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,231 in Cayo Coco versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cayo Coco but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Cayo Coco the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cayo Coco delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,231 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cayo Coco hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Cayo Coco 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 Cayo Coco gentler on the wallet – expenses run 80% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.