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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,211 in Guatemala City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,920 in Guatemala City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $2,629 in Guatemala City.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 89% more expensive than in Guatemala City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Guatemala City is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$5.23 Q 39.90

209.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$50.9 Q 388

24.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$6.24 Q 47.56

65.38%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$3.31 Q 25.21

-14.50%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$1.22 Q 9.27

87.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.93 Q 7.09

69.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$3.33 Q 25.39

2.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$4.48 Q 34.17

-10.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$2.05 Q 15.59

-46.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$3.17 Q 24.13

-44.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.05 Q 15.63

-14.15%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.54 Q 19.34

24.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$7.77 Q 59.2

69.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$8.59 Q 65.5

-7.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$11.59 Q 88.3

33.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$3.58 Q 27.29

-33.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.52 Q 11.58

12.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$3.15 Q 24.00

-36.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$1.84 Q 14.05

32.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.77 Q 13.47

-0.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.36 Q 18.01

-13.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.74 Q 5.61

159.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.22 Q 9.31

-30.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$3.66 Q 27.90

79.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$8.11 Q 61.8

-31.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.59 Q 12.15

-16.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.53 Q 19.25

17.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$1.27 Q 9.70

79.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

$13.43 Q 102

240.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$5.19 Q 39.55

-18.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.60 Q 4.55

35.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$15.92 Q 121

15.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.08 Q 8.21

92.59%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$19.6K Q 149.7K

76.55%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$24.8K Q 189.3K

57.65%

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

$148 €130

$80.4 Q 613

84.23%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$26.23 Q 200

-22.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$48.76 Q 372

-18.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$48.46 Q 369

-0.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

$24.54 Q 187

-24.21%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$7.16 Q 54.6

28.77%

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

$616 €539

$249 Q 1,896

147.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$5,758 Q 43.9K

185.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$51.0 Q 388

101.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$53.3 Q 407

-21.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$119 Q 903

-20.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$120 Q 912

1.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$717 Q 5,467

127.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$429 Q 3,271

187.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$1,372 Q 10.5K

125.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$760 Q 5,795

167.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

$2,016 Q 15.4K

288.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

$1,093 Q 8,332

301.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

$862 Q 6,569

86.50%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Guatemala City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $717 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $51.0 in Guatemala City. Groceries flip the comparison at $267 vs $277, 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 89% 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 87% 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $717 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 $51.0 versus $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,291 per month in Lisbon versus $1,211 in Guatemala City – a 89% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,211 in Guatemala City versus $2,291 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 $1,211 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 89% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.