Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Nosara Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Nosara

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,712 in Nosara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $2,637 in Nosara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $3,562 in Nosara.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 29% more expensive than Nosara, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Nosara 28% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.80

$11.04 ₡5,063

44.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €56.2

$60.5 ₡27.7K

7.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.12

$7.09 ₡3,251

48.24%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.49

$3.89 ₡1,783

-26.22%

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

$2.24 €1.95

$1.57 ₡721

42.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$1.17 ₡534

28.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.03

$2.94 ₡1,349

18.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.37

$4.71 ₡2,157

-17.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.99

$1.47 ₡673

-22.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.52

$2.81 ₡1,290

-37.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.52

$2.25 ₡1,029

-21.78%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.79

$2.94 ₡1,350

9.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.70

$6.78 ₡3,109

98.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.87

$9.03 ₡4,140

-12.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.77

$13.62 ₡6,244

16.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €2.00

$2.05 ₡938

12.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.48

$1.46 ₡670

16.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.74

$4.18 ₡1,914

-51.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.13

$1.51 ₡693

62.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.60

$3.44 ₡1,578

-46.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.74

$3.19 ₡1,462

-37.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.67

$0.96 ₡438

101.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$2.42 ₡1,108

-67.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.73

$4.61 ₡2,114

43.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.97

$21.01 ₡9,633

-72.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$2.41 ₡1,103

-43.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.58

$2.85 ₡1,306

4.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.06

$0.96 ₡440

146.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.52

$65.5 ₡30.0K

-30.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.72

$1.80 ₡825

138.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.71

$1.85 ₡848

-55.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.88

$7.77 ₡3,561

135.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.79

$1.28 ₡587

60.94%

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

$34.3K €29.7K

$32.4K ₡14.9M

5.70%

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

$39.3K €34.1K

$32.2K ₡14.8M

21.93%

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

$148 €128

$95.5 ₡43.8K

54.90%

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

$20.52 €17.80

$26.09 ₡12.0K

-21.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.37

$47.42 ₡21.7K

-16.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.51

$57.8 ₡26.5K

-17.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.42

$23.56 ₡10.8K

-19.69%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.97

$10.18 ₡4,666

-9.82%

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

$614 €533

$442 ₡202.8K

38.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.9K

$10.5K ₡4.8M

52.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.8

$50.6 ₡23.2K

106.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.49

$51.4 ₡23.6K

-18.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €81.5

$72.2 ₡33.1K

30.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €104

$70.4 ₡32.3K

70.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,412

$770 ₡353.2K

111.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,089

$733 ₡335.9K

71.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,629

$1,500 ₡687.8K

101.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,753

$1,290 ₡591.4K

56.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,766

$7,047 ₡3.2M

10.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,707

$1,234 ₡565.8K

246.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,391

$897 ₡411.3K

78.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

10.17

-62.54%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Nosara: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $770 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 79% 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 $60.0 in Nosara. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $323, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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 Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Nosara differ by about 29% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,712 including rent). Nosara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 79% 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 $770 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $442 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 20% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,712 in Nosara versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara 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 Nosara 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 Nosara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.