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: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $790 in Masaya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,260 in Masaya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $1,729 in Masaya.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 187% more expensive than in Masaya, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Masaya is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$10.08 NIO 369

74.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$36.77 NIO 1,347

75.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$7.66 NIO 280

52.09%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$2.51 NIO 92.1

29.88%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$0.83 NIO 30.34

200.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.72 NIO 26.40

131.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$1.44 NIO 52.9

140.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$1.96 NIO 71.9

82.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.24 NIO 45.27

-4.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$2.29 NIO 83.9

-14.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.71 NIO 62.5

-8.77%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$2.36 NIO 86.5

69.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$11.49 NIO 421

15.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$6.52 NIO 239

29.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$7.30 NIO 268

149.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$3.64 NIO 133

-36.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$0.57 NIO 21.04

203.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.75 NIO 64.0

10.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.18 NIO 79.9

21.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$4.03 NIO 147

-52.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$2.26 NIO 82.8

-6.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.01 NIO 36.97

42.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$1.07 NIO 39.11

-25.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$2.68 NIO 98.1

161.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$14.59 NIO 534

-59.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.46 NIO 53.5

-6.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.35 NIO 85.9

-8.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$1.65 NIO 60.4

153.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$1.67 NIO 61.2

-34.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$6.86 NIO 251

151.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.33 NIO 48.65

69.17%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$23.2K NIO 849.3K

48.64%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$26.1K NIO 955.3K

59.57%

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

$171 €147

$117 NIO 4,283

46.11%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$16.75 NIO 613

13.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$36.65 NIO 1,342

-6.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$8.33 NIO 305

21.25%

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

$699 €603

$237 NIO 8,673

195.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$5,955 NIO 218.1K

198.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$71.2 NIO 2,607

46.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$72.1 NIO 2,642

-33.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$135 NIO 4,935

-24.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$107 NIO 3,904

20.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

10.25

-63.12%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Masaya: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $37.00 in Masaya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $255 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 187% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $790 including rent). Masaya is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,402 in Lisbon and $1,185 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 10% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,268 per month in Lisbon versus $790 in Masaya – a 187% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $790 in Masaya versus $2,268 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 187% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.