Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Perez Zeledon Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Perez Zeledon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $1,172 in Perez Zeledon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,928 in Perez Zeledon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $2,685 in Perez Zeledon.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 95% more expensive than in Perez Zeledon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Perez Zeledon is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.64

$7.13 ₡3,197

120.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.0

$40.23 ₡18.0K

57.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.05

$9.90 ₡4,438

5.56%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.52

$3.77 ₡1,690

-22.81%

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

$2.29 €1.98

$1.52 ₡680

50.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$1.59 ₡714

-5.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$3.01 ₡1,350

18.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.43

$4.60 ₡2,064

-13.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$2.01 ₡899

-46.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$2.85 ₡1,276

-38.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$2.21 ₡992

-23.08%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.81

$2.62 ₡1,176

24.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.47

$8.21 ₡3,681

61.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.67

$9.16 ₡4,105

-15.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.66

$13.92 ₡6,242

13.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$4.52 ₡2,025

-49.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$1.03 ₡462

61.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$4.36 ₡1,955

-53.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$3.45 ₡1,546

-28.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$2.83 ₡1,269

-36.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$2.73 ₡1,226

-24.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$0.39 ₡174

405.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$2.95 ₡1,322

-71.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.68

$5.01 ₡2,245

30.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.82

$21.42 ₡9,604

-74.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$2.27 ₡1,018

-41.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.60

$1.53 ₡687

96.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$0.69 ₡308

228.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.66

$1.88 ₡841

125.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$1.85 ₡831

-54.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.31

$7.76 ₡3,479

142.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.35 ₡607

49.63%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$37.3K ₡16.7M

-6.40%

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

$39.6K €34.3K

$32.6K ₡14.6M

21.62%

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

$148 €128

$95.2 ₡42.7K

55.40%

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

$20.52 €17.77

$21.29 ₡9,547

-3.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.23

$59.7 ₡26.7K

-33.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.72

$30.43 ₡13.6K

58.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

$23.89 ₡10.7K

-23.02%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.88

$10.17 ₡4,558

-10.52%

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

$615 €532

$496 ₡222.3K

23.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$12.6K ₡5.7M

29.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$61.4 ₡27.5K

65.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.45

$50.7 ₡22.7K

-16.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €79.9

$128 ₡57.2K

-27.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$109 ₡49.0K

11.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,396

$337 ₡151.2K

377.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,086

$262 ₡117.3K

379.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,658

$1,516 ₡680.0K

102.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,764

$645 ₡289.2K

215.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,712

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,712

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,387

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

-57.67%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Last update for Perez Zeledon: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $337 in Perez Zeledon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $40.00 in Perez Zeledon. Groceries flip the comparison at $267 vs $352, 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 Perez Zeledon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Perez Zeledon differ by about 95% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $1,172 including rent). Perez Zeledon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,420 in Lisbon and $1,758 in Perez Zeledon 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $337 in Perez Zeledon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 32% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,280 per month in Lisbon versus $1,172 in Perez Zeledon – a 95% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,172 in Perez Zeledon versus $2,280 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Perez Zeledon but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Perez Zeledon 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 Perez Zeledon 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 Perez Zeledon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 95% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.