Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Escazu

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.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in Escazu
Learn more

Escazu Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Escazu

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,933

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Escazu

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

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

Lisbon $2,223
Escazu $1,933

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

Lisbon $3,271
Escazu $2,966

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

Lisbon $4,319
Escazu $3,999

Living in Lisbon is roughly 15% more expensive than in Escazu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.50 €14.67

$12.23 ₡5,486

34.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 €54.5

$62.1 ₡27.9K

-1.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.27 €10.03

$11.48 ₡5,146

-1.83%

Cappuccino

$3.06 €2.72

$4.56 ₡2,045

-32.89%

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

$2.26 €2.01

$2.72 ₡1,218

-16.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.54

$1.85 ₡828

-6.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 €3.02

$3.36 ₡1,505

0.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 €3.02

$4.47 ₡2,006

-23.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 €1.00

$2.32 ₡1,040

-51.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.65

$3.12 ₡1,397

-40.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 €1.36

$2.49 ₡1,117

-38.55%

Eggs

$3.96 €3.53

$3.59 ₡1,611

10.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.76 €11.35

$10.61 ₡4,757

20.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.02

$10.22 ₡4,581

-22.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.97 €15.09

$13.94 ₡6,252

21.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 €2.02

$5.13 ₡2,301

-55.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

$1.62 ₡726

8.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

$3.16 ₡1,416

-41.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.57 €2.28

$3.07 ₡1,378

-16.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.65

$3.79 ₡1,698

-50.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 €1.80

$3.73 ₡1,674

-45.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.28

$1.04 ₡465

38.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.73

$1.70 ₡762

-51.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.56 €5.83

$5.53 ₡2,479

18.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.62 €5.00

$18.39 ₡8,249

-69.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 €1.14

$1.66 ₡745

-22.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 €1.84

$2.68 ₡1,202

-22.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 €2.09

$1.09 ₡491

115.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.18 €39.30

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 €3.55

$2.06 ₡923

93.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 €0.97

$1.57 ₡704

-30.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.64 €14.81

$8.76 ₡3,927

89.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.03

$1.48 ₡664

54.05%

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

$33.7K €30.0K

$22.4K ₡10.1M

50.21%

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

$39.3K €35.0K

$35.2K ₡15.8M

11.67%

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

$167 €149

$94.6 ₡42.4K

77.14%

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

$18.80 €16.72

$29.81 ₡13.4K

-36.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.09 €29.43

$60.1 ₡27.0K

-44.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.01 €40.93

$108 ₡48.6K

-57.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.19 €17.07

$10.15 ₡4,550

89.06%

Cinema Ticket

$9.84 €8.75

$7.81 ₡3,502

25.99%

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

$677 €602

$457 ₡204.9K

48.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K €15.1K

$16.9K ₡7.6M

0.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €90.1

$71.1 ₡31.9K

42.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 €40.70

$55.7 ₡25.0K

-17.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100.0 €88.9

$131 ₡58.6K

-23.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €109

$130 ₡58.4K

-5.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 €1,436

$834 ₡373.9K

93.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 €1,065

$845 ₡378.8K

41.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,862 €2,545

$1,961 ₡879.3K

45.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,990 €1,770

$1,508 ₡676.4K

31.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,577 €6,740

$1,407 ₡630.8K

438.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,307 €3,831

$972 ₡435.7K

343.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,588 €1,412

$1,746 ₡782.8K

-9.04%

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 11, 2026

Last update for Escazu: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9%

Escazu

$845 43.7% 29.4% $352

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$269 12.1%

Escazu

$361 18.7% 33.8% $91

Eating Out

Lisbon

$242 10.9%

Escazu

$231 12% 4.6% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$219 9.9%

Escazu

$184 9.5% 15.9% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Escazu

$174 9% 4.9% $8.1

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$66 3%

Escazu

$124 6.4% 88.7% $58

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.8%

Escazu

$14 * 0.7% 77.3% $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 $1,614 in Lisbon and $834 in Escazu. 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: $61.0 in Lisbon vs $62.0 in Escazu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $361 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇨🇷 Escazu

🕒 Local time

12:10 12:10 PM

05:10 5:10 AM

7 h behind Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

11,984

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1,000 CRC = 2.23 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 October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

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).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lisbon Escazu 8,020 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Escazu

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 Escazu: 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.

On paper, salaries run 10% lower in Escazu. 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: $1,614 in Lisbon versus $834 in Escazu. 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 $2,223 per month in Lisbon versus $1,933 in Escazu – 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, Lisbon and Escazu 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.