Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Guatemala City Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Guatemala City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,234 in Guatemala City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,935 in Guatemala City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $2,637 in Guatemala City.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 79% more expensive than Guatemala City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$5.34 Q 40.67

197.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$49.37 Q 376

31.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$6.50 Q 49.52

61.69%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$3.41 Q 25.95

-15.84%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$1.17 Q 8.89

91.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.96 Q 7.33

56.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$3.36 Q 25.57

3.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$4.49 Q 34.23

-13.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$2.08 Q 15.86

-45.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$3.13 Q 23.88

-44.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$2.11 Q 16.11

-16.59%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.56 Q 19.53

25.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.62

$7.93 Q 60.4

70.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$8.65 Q 65.9

-8.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$11.63 Q 88.6

36.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$3.67 Q 27.99

-37.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.52 Q 11.60

11.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$3.01 Q 22.92

-33.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.76 Q 13.39

39.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.71 Q 13.03

7.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$2.27 Q 17.27

-11.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.74 Q 5.62

160.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$1.24 Q 9.41

-36.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$3.63 Q 27.62

82.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$8.12 Q 61.9

-29.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.59 Q 12.13

-13.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.49 Q 18.94

19.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.29 Q 9.81

83.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.23

$13.64 Q 104

234.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$5.30 Q 40.37

-19.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.59 Q 4.51

38.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$15.50 Q 118

18.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.08 Q 8.19

90.74%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$19.7K Q 150.4K

73.57%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$24.6K Q 187.5K

59.65%

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

$148 €127

$81.7 Q 622

80.99%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$26.82 Q 204

-23.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.11

$49.40 Q 376

-19.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.20

$49.18 Q 375

-2.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$24.66 Q 188

-23.28%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$7.37 Q 56.1

24.56%

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

$614 €529

$247 Q 1,884

148.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$5,695 Q 43.4K

181.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$50.8 Q 387

105.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.22

$53.6 Q 408

-21.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$116 Q 881

-18.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$122 Q 931

-2.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,402

$716 Q 5,451

127.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$429 Q 3,269

192.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$1,376 Q 10.5K

120.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,740

$770 Q 5,866

162.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,716

$2,024 Q 15.4K

285.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,679

$1,096 Q 8,349

289.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,381

$857 Q 6,531

87.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

8.9

-57.19%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Guatemala City: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $716 in Guatemala City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 87% 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 $49.00 in Guatemala City. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $278, 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 Guatemala City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Guatemala City wins on cost – living expenses run 79% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Guatemala City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Lisbon pays 87% 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 $716 in Guatemala City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Guatemala City – a meal for two runs $49.00 versus $65.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $1,234 in Guatemala City – a 79% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,234 in Guatemala City versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Guatemala City but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Guatemala City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Guatemala City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,234 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Guatemala City hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Guatemala City 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 Guatemala City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 79% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.