Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Managua Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Managua

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $952 in Managua.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,555 in Managua.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $2,158 in Managua.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 132% more expensive than Managua, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Managua is 29% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$4.80 NIO 176

231.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$35.28 NIO 1,292

83.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$6.90 NIO 253

52.32%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.44 NIO 89.3

17.62%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.80 NIO 29.36

180.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.69 NIO 25.21

117.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$1.33 NIO 48.60

162.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$2.06 NIO 75.4

88.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.25 NIO 45.85

-8.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$2.37 NIO 86.9

-26.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.82 NIO 66.8

-3.30%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.31 NIO 84.6

39.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$11.00 NIO 403

22.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$6.51 NIO 238

21.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$8.10 NIO 297

95.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$3.86 NIO 141

-40.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$0.89 NIO 32.77

91.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.84 NIO 67.5

9.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.28 NIO 83.7

7.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$3.94 NIO 144

-53.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$2.24 NIO 82.2

-10.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.06 NIO 38.98

82.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$1.05 NIO 38.52

-24.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$2.61 NIO 95.4

153.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$14.53 NIO 532

-60.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.41 NIO 51.7

-2.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.16 NIO 79.1

37.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.16 NIO 5.81

1381.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$5.93 NIO 217

668.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$1.46 NIO 53.7

193.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.54 NIO 19.61

51.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$6.70 NIO 246

173.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.29 NIO 47.27

59.69%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$22.7K NIO 831.7K

50.95%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$26.7K NIO 976.9K

47.30%

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

$148 €127

$98.2 NIO 3,595

50.66%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$17.14 NIO 628

19.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$37.51 NIO 1,374

5.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$35.85 NIO 1,313

33.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$14.84 NIO 543

27.49%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$7.92 NIO 290

15.91%

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

$614 €528

$122 NIO 4,474

402.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$6,003 NIO 219.9K

167.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$78.2 NIO 2,862

33.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$71.1 NIO 2,605

-40.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$131 NIO 4,802

-28.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$110 NIO 4,012

9.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$255 NIO 9,348

537.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$191 NIO 7,000

556.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$442 NIO 16.2K

585.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$444 NIO 16.3K

354.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$1,209 NIO 44.3K

544.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$646 NIO 23.7K

561.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$360 NIO 13.2K

345.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

10.25

-62.83%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Managua: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $255 in Managua. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 346% 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 $35.00 in Managua for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $260 per month, with Managua 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 Managua: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Managua differ by about 132% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $952 including rent). Managua is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 346% 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 $255 in Managua. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $122 in Managua. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $952 in Managua versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Managua but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Managua the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Managua 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 Managua gentler on the wallet – expenses run 132% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.