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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $718 in Masaya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,138 in Masaya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,558 in Masaya.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 208% more expensive than Masaya, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Masaya is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$4.95 NIO 181

221.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$35.34 NIO 1,294

83.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$7.21 NIO 264

45.77%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.44 NIO 89.2

17.62%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.84 NIO 30.60

166.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.75 NIO 27.32

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$1.29 NIO 47.42

170.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$2.05 NIO 75.2

89.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.26 NIO 46.00

-9.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$2.38 NIO 87.0

-26.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.86 NIO 68.2

-5.38%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.24 NIO 81.9

43.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$11.39 NIO 417

18.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$6.81 NIO 249

16.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$7.92 NIO 290

100.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$3.93 NIO 144

-41.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$0.83 NIO 30.49

104.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.81 NIO 66.4

11.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.21 NIO 81.1

11.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$4.05 NIO 148

-54.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$2.19 NIO 80.1

-8.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.01 NIO 37.06

91.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$1.04 NIO 38.13

-24.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$2.68 NIO 98.3

146.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$14.69 NIO 538

-61.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.45 NIO 53.3

-5.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.24 NIO 82.1

32.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$1.46 NIO 53.3

193.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$6.88 NIO 252

165.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.36 NIO 49.91

51.47%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$22.8K NIO 835.6K

50.25%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$26.2K NIO 959.3K

50.02%

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

$148 €127

$98.9 NIO 3,622

49.51%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$16.80 NIO 615

22.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$37.42 NIO 1,370

5.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$7.96 NIO 291

15.33%

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

$614 €528

$124 NIO 4,540

395.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$5,948 NIO 217.9K

169.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$77.7 NIO 2,846

34.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$72.7 NIO 2,662

-42.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$130 NIO 4,762

-27.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$110 NIO 4,019

9.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

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 Masaya: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $35.00 in Masaya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $262 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 208% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $718 including rent). Masaya is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,315 in Lisbon and $1,077 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 3% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $718 in Masaya – a 208% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $718 in Masaya versus $2,210 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 208% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.