Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $1,587 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $2,498 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $3,410 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 43% more expensive than in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 64% above, Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon 15% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.13

$12.22 ₡5,471

43.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$45.39 ₡20.3K

42.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$11.22 ₡5,024

3.83%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$3.95 ₡1,768

-17.47%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$2.35 ₡1,054

5.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$1.89 ₡844

-11.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$3.31 ₡1,482

4.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$4.23 ₡1,894

-15.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$2.11 ₡946

-44.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$3.17 ₡1,418

-38.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$2.54 ₡1,136

-38.58%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$3.18 ₡1,423

26.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.45

$6.48 ₡2,900

104.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$7.96 ₡3,565

5.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$14.44 ₡6,464

26.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$2.73 ₡1,220

-15.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.14 ₡510

51.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.31 ₡586

47.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.28

$1.77 ₡792

49.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$2.65 ₡1,187

-28.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$2.01 ₡901

4.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.69 ₡309

108.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$1.94 ₡870

-58.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$3.11 ₡1,393

125.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$15.43 ₡6,907

-61.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$2.84 ₡1,272

-52.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$3.60 ₡1,610

-40.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$1.38 ₡617

72.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.86

$45.04 ₡20.2K

2.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$1.82 ₡813

130.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$1.57 ₡702

-29.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$9.01 ₡4,030

91.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.50 ₡673

50.00%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$21.7K ₡9.7M

59.04%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$35.1K ₡15.7M

18.67%

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

$171 €147

$95.8 ₡42.9K

78.41%

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

$19.01 €16.39

$36.38 ₡16.3K

-47.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.56

$33.90 ₡15.2K

1.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.81

$74.9 ₡33.5K

-33.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.82

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$8.40 ₡3,759

20.24%

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

$699 €603

$1,008 ₡451.3K

-30.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$17.2K ₡7.7M

3.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$66.1 ₡29.6K

58.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.36

$26.33 ₡11.8K

82.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$101 ₡45.2K

0.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$56.5 ₡25.3K

127.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,433

$792 ₡354.5K

109.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$642 ₡287.1K

91.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,514

$1,844 ₡825.5K

58.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,745

$1,257 ₡562.7K

60.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,010

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,997

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$1,017 ₡455.0K

59.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

8.78

-56.95%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $792 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 59% 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: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $45.00 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon. Groceries flip the comparison at $281 vs $303, 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 Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon differ by about 43% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $1,587 including rent). Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 59% 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $792 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $1,008 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,587 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon 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 Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon 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 Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.