Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Leon, Nicaragua

For one person, living is cheaper in Leon: $816 a month against $2,206 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $16,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon, Portugal
Leon, Nicaragua
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,206
/mo nomad
Leon
🇳🇮 Nicaragua
$816
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Leon

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

A single person spends $2,206 per month in Lisbon vs $816 in Leon, rent included.

  • Lisbon $2,206
  • Leon $816

A couple spends around $3,276 per month in Lisbon vs $1,416 in Leon, rent included.

  • Lisbon $3,276
  • Leon $1,416

A family of three spends $4,346 per month in Lisbon vs $2,015 in Leon, rent included.

  • Lisbon $4,346
  • Leon $2,015

Lisbon costs about 170% more than Leon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Lisbon sits 63% above the global median, while Leon is 40% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Leon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.86 €14.98
$9.94 NIO 364
69.62%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.0 €54.2
$34.88 NIO 1,278
75.00%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.98 €9.75
$7.53 NIO 276
45.82%
Cappuccino
$3.05 €2.71
$2.66 NIO 97.4
14.66%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.28 €2.03
$0.89 NIO 32.73
156.18%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.68 €1.49
$0.68 NIO 24.72
147.06%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.44 €3.05
$1.53 NIO 56.1
124.84%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.91 €3.47
$2.21 NIO 80.9
76.92%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Leon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.15 €1.02
$1.21 NIO 44.31
-4.96%
White Bread (500g)
$1.89 €1.68
$2.33 NIO 85.2
-18.88%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 €1.33
$1.89 NIO 69.1
-20.63%
Eggs
$4.12 €3.66
$2.31 NIO 84.8
78.35%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.01 €11.55
$11.63 NIO 426
11.87%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.04 €7.15
$6.21 NIO 227
29.47%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.89 €15.89
$7.97 NIO 292
124.47%
Apples (1kg)
$2.27 €2.02
$3.96 NIO 145
-42.68%
Banana (1kg)
$1.74 €1.55
$0.61 NIO 22.35
185.25%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.82 €1.62
$1.82 NIO 66.8
-
Tomato (1kg)
$2.69 €2.39
$2.52 NIO 92.4
6.75%
Potato (1kg)
$1.77 €1.57
$3.84 NIO 141
-53.91%
Onion (1kg)
$1.94 €1.72
$2.20 NIO 80.6
-11.82%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.46 €1.30
$1.09 NIO 39.75
33.94%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.76 €0.68
$1.06 NIO 38.69
-28.30%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.66 €5.91
$2.69 NIO 98.3
147.58%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.64 €5.01
$14.42 NIO 528
-60.89%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.29 €1.15
$1.44 NIO 52.7
-10.42%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.90
$2.28 NIO 83.5
-6.14%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Leon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.30 €2.04
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.02 €39.10
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.98 €3.54
$1.66 NIO 61.0
139.76%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.64 €0.57
$1.65 NIO 60.6
-61.21%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$18.93 €16.81
$6.86 NIO 251
175.95%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.28 €2.02
$1.35 NIO 49.47
68.89%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.4K €29.6K
$23.2K NIO 849.3K
43.92%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.5K €34.2K
$26.8K NIO 981.3K
43.72%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Leon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$158 €141
$149 NIO 5,457
6.16%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.54 €15.58
$19.60 NIO 718
-10.51%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.18 €27.70
$31.87 NIO 1,167
-2.17%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Leon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.64 €39.66
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.98 €16.86
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.58 €8.51
$8.86 NIO 325
8.13%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Leon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$674 €598
$235 NIO 8,616
186.34%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.7K €16.6K
$5,939 NIO 217.5K
215.37%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Leon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €90.8
$60.7 NIO 2,222
68.44%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.90 €40.77
$64.9 NIO 2,376
-29.23%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$102 €90.8
$121 NIO 4,431
-15.53%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$122 €108
$146 NIO 5,360
-16.66%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Leon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,641 €1,457
$394 NIO 14.4K
316.35%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,187 €1,055
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,825 €2,509
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,018 €1,793
$276 NIO 10.1K
632.21%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,836 €6,960
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,701 €4,176
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Leon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,687 €1,499
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.82
11.92
-67.95%

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

Last update for Lisbon: November 1, 2026

Last update for Leon: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Leon
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$275
Leon
$259 5.7% $16
Eating Out
Lisbon
$245
Leon
$152 37.9% $93
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$207
Leon
$200 3.1% $6.4
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$168
Leon
$177 5.5% $9.3
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Leon
$18 * 72.2% $46
Getting Around
Lisbon
$60
Leon
$9.9 * 83.6% $50

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,641 in Lisbon versus $394 in Leon. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Lisbon versus $35 in Leon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $275 vs $259 – making Leon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇳🇮 Leon
🕒 Local time
18:56 6:56 PM
12:56 12:56 PM
6 h behind Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
207,533
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

NIO, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 0.888 EUR (1 EUR = 1.13 USD).

Nicaraguan Córdoba exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 36.62 NIO (100 NIO = 2.73 USD). 1 EUR = 41.06 NIO (100 NIO = 2.44 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Leon 8,090 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Leon

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 Leon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Leon cheaper than Lisbon?
Yes – Lisbon is pricier by about 170%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,309 per month in Lisbon and $1,224 in Leon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Leon, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $394 there versus $1,641 in Lisbon.
What are total monthly expenses in Lisbon and in Leon?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,206 in Lisbon and $816 in Leon. That makes Leon about 63% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $674 per month in Lisbon and $235 in Leon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Lisbon or in Leon?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Leon, where all-in costs run around $816, than in Lisbon at $2,206. In Leon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city suits remote workers better?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Leon costs $816 versus $2,206 in Lisbon. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
Which city is safer, Lisbon or Leon?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

Lisbon vs other spots: cost of living compared

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