Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Matagalpa Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Matagalpa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $811 in Matagalpa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $1,228 in Matagalpa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $1,645 in Matagalpa.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 183% more expensive than in Matagalpa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Matagalpa is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$6.93 NIO 254

153.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$25.35 NIO 928

147.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$7.48 NIO 274

54.81%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.52 NIO 92.2

23.02%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$0.85 NIO 31.24

192.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.43 NIO 15.72

304.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$1.23 NIO 45.20

182.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$2.03 NIO 74.2

69.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.21 NIO 44.43

-4.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.23 NIO 45.08

55.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.71 NIO 62.7

-12.28%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$2.36 NIO 86.6

68.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$2.70 NIO 98.9

392.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$4.24 NIO 155

88.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

$6.76 NIO 248

166.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$3.67 NIO 134

-35.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$0.63 NIO 22.91

177.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$1.83 NIO 67.2

1.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$2.24 NIO 82.2

13.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$3.94 NIO 144

-53.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$2.17 NIO 79.3

-3.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$1.00 NIO 36.64

49.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$1.07 NIO 39.06

-23.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$2.60 NIO 95.1

173.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$10.08 NIO 369

-41.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$1.20 NIO 43.94

9.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.35 NIO 86.0

-9.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$0.23 NIO 8.35

926.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$1.13 NIO 41.42

261.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$1.23 NIO 44.88

-7.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

$6.74 NIO 247

153.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.32 NIO 48.26

75.00%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$23.2K NIO 849.4K

47.15%

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

$41.4K €36.1K

$26.7K NIO 976.6K

55.16%

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

$169 €147

$59.4 NIO 2,174

183.90%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$17.10 NIO 626

13.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$37.40 NIO 1,370

-10.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$8.65 NIO 317

10.64%

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

$696 €607

$233 NIO 8,523

199.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$6,129 NIO 224.5K

183.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$71.7 NIO 2,625

46.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$72.8 NIO 2,664

-34.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$132 NIO 4,819

-23.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$107 NIO 3,930

15.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

$204 NIO 7,459

715.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$175 NIO 6,424

610.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

$295 NIO 10.8K

906.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

$248 NIO 9,087

725.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

$199 NIO 7,295

719.10%

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 12, 2026

Last update for Matagalpa: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $204 in Matagalpa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 719% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $25.00 in Matagalpa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $195 per month, with Matagalpa 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 Matagalpa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Matagalpa differ by about 183% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $811 including rent). Matagalpa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 719% higher in Lisbon, 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $204 in Matagalpa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,296 per month in Lisbon versus $811 in Matagalpa – a 183% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $811 in Matagalpa versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Matagalpa but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Matagalpa 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 Matagalpa 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 Matagalpa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 183% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.