Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Masaya Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Masaya

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $719 in Masaya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,155 in Masaya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,592 in Masaya.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 219% more expensive than in Masaya, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Masaya is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$4.87 NIO 178

232.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$34.82 NIO 1,275

81.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$7.08 NIO 259

45.76%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$2.39 NIO 87.5

18.41%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$0.79 NIO 28.78

189.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.76 NIO 27.65

107.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$1.35 NIO 49.32

151.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$2.02 NIO 74.0

99.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.27 NIO 46.52

-14.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$2.46 NIO 89.9

-28.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.82 NIO 66.6

-3.30%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.23 NIO 81.7

42.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$11.14 NIO 408

18.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$6.77 NIO 248

17.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$7.88 NIO 289

97.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$3.93 NIO 144

-39.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$0.89 NIO 32.74

92.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.76 NIO 64.6

14.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$2.19 NIO 80.2

10.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$3.95 NIO 145

-55.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.24 NIO 81.9

-9.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.06 NIO 38.81

81.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.06 NIO 38.70

-19.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$2.63 NIO 96.3

150.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$14.63 NIO 536

-61.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.42 NIO 52.0

-6.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.17 NIO 79.5

36.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$1.46 NIO 53.5

189.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$6.63 NIO 243

178.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.30 NIO 47.49

60.00%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$22.6K NIO 827.8K

53.39%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$26.5K NIO 970.1K

47.83%

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

$148 €130

$97.0 NIO 3,552

52.64%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$16.99 NIO 622

20.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$37.80 NIO 1,384

4.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$8.23 NIO 301

12.03%

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

$616 €539

$122 NIO 4,474

404.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$5,919 NIO 216.8K

177.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$76.6 NIO 2,805

34.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$73.1 NIO 2,675

-42.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$133 NIO 4,878

-28.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$109 NIO 3,996

11.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Masaya: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $35.00 in Masaya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $261 per month, with Masaya 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 Masaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Masaya differ by about 219% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $719 including rent). Masaya is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,437 in Lisbon and $1,078 in Masaya to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,291 per month in Lisbon versus $719 in Masaya – a 219% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $719 in Masaya versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Masaya but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Masaya 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 Masaya 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 Masaya gentler on the wallet – expenses run 219% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.