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: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $1,353 in Guatemala City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $2,024 in Guatemala City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $2,696 in Guatemala City.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 71% more expensive than in Guatemala City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Guatemala City is 2% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.87

$6.99 Q 53.3

147.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$49.28 Q 376

28.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.79

$7.68 Q 58.6

48.31%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.74

$3.41 Q 26.04

-6.45%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$1.12 Q 8.52

118.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.89 Q 6.78

97.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$3.21 Q 24.50

11.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$4.80 Q 36.59

-29.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$2.09 Q 15.93

-40.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$2.89 Q 22.06

-31.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$2.03 Q 15.47

-25.12%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.47

$2.47 Q 18.81

63.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.64

$6.49 Q 49.52

108.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.21

$9.32 Q 71.1

-9.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.69

$13.34 Q 102

36.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$3.80 Q 29.02

-39.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.72 Q 13.15

1.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$2.91 Q 22.17

-36.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$1.65 Q 12.56

59.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.48 Q 11.31

29.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$2.17 Q 16.57

-3.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.69 Q 5.24

108.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$1.21 Q 9.21

-30.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$4.01 Q 30.58

69.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$8.08 Q 61.7

-29.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.80 Q 13.76

-23.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$2.58 Q 19.68

-13.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$1.28 Q 9.77

87.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.22

$13.99 Q 107

234.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$5.18 Q 39.51

-19.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.20

$10.43 Q 79.6

69.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.28 Q 9.80

81.25%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$27.9K Q 212.9K

26.59%

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

$41.4K €35.6K

$25.7K Q 196.3K

61.10%

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

$170 €146

$76.4 Q 583

122.83%

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

$19.34 €16.62

$29.08 Q 222

-33.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.92

$45.55 Q 347

-26.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.35

$39.86 Q 304

20.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.11

$13.08 Q 99.8

52.14%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.53

$6.38 Q 48.68

55.49%

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

$717 €617

$344 Q 2,621

108.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$6,719 Q 51.3K

160.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$47.73 Q 364

119.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.36

$47.86 Q 365

-1.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €88.9

$108 Q 822

-3.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$111 Q 850

11.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,441

$828 Q 6,316

102.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,093

$546 Q 4,163

132.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,566

$1,556 Q 11.9K

91.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,713

$819 Q 6,249

143.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,728

$2,043 Q 15.6K

283.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,004

$1,103 Q 8,416

322.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,361

$843 Q 6,427

87.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

11.62

-67.38%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Guatemala City: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $828 in Guatemala City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 88% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $49.00 in Guatemala City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $279 per month, with Guatemala City 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 Guatemala City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Guatemala City wins on cost – living expenses run 71% 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.

Average pay runs 88% 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: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $828 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 $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,316 per month in Lisbon versus $1,353 in Guatemala City – a 71% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,353 in Guatemala City versus $2,316 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 $1,353 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 71% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.