Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Samara, Costa Rica

For one person, living is cheaper in Samara: $2,032 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
97

Cost of Living Index in Samara
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Samara Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Samara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,032

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Samara

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Samara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $2,032 in Samara.

Lisbon $2,210
Samara $2,032

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $3,533 in Samara.

Lisbon $3,275
Samara $3,533

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $5,034 in Samara.

Lisbon $4,341
Samara $5,034

Living in Lisbon is roughly 9% more expensive than in Samara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Samara 49% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.92

$11.07 ₡4,997

50.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.3

$62.2 ₡28.1K

-0.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.18

$11.70 ₡5,282

-2.91%

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.66

$4.34 ₡1,960

-31.57%

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

$2.29 €2.05

$2.72 ₡1,229

-15.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.56

$1.92 ₡866

-9.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.05

$3.32 ₡1,501

2.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.97

$4.51 ₡2,036

-26.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.04

$2.42 ₡1,095

-52.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.71

$3.05 ₡1,376

-37.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.36

$2.50 ₡1,129

-39.60%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.60

$3.46 ₡1,561

16.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.59

$10.78 ₡4,868

20.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.97

$10.49 ₡4,736

-25.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.92

$10.82 ₡4,885

64.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.06

$5.01 ₡2,263

-54.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.55

$1.65 ₡745

4.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.66

$4.72 ₡2,129

-60.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.32

$3.82 ₡1,723

-32.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.63

$3.72 ₡1,679

-51.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$3.69 ₡1,665

-46.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

$1.08 ₡487

36.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

$3.09 ₡1,397

-76.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.90

$5.57 ₡2,516

18.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.02

$18.86 ₡8,513

-70.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

$2.78 ₡1,255

-51.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.91

$2.48 ₡1,119

-13.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.09

$1.40 ₡630

66.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.04

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.45

$2.48 ₡1,118

55.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

$1.57 ₡709

-31.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.75

$8.51 ₡3,843

93.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.97

$1.52 ₡686

44.74%

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

$34.2K €30.6K

$34.3K ₡15.5M

-0.36%

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

$38.7K €34.7K

$41.2K ₡18.6M

-6.10%

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

$161 €144

$94.0 ₡42.4K

71.55%

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

$18.41 €16.50

$35.45 ₡16.0K

-48.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.34

$59.0 ₡26.6K

-44.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €39.92

$66.9 ₡30.2K

-33.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.11

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.60

$7.88 ₡3,556

21.83%

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

$668 €598

$502 ₡226.4K

33.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

$6,013 ₡2.7M

192.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.4

$67.1 ₡30.3K

52.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.85

$55.5 ₡25.1K

-19.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.3

$129 ₡58.4K

-23.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$133 ₡60.0K

-6.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,441

$1,373 ₡619.7K

17.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,066

$967 ₡436.4K

23.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,520

$3,769 ₡1.7M

-25.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,804

$2,611 ₡1.2M

-22.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,025

$4,955 ₡2.2M

58.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,100

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,411

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

8.62

-55.34%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Samara: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Samara

$967 47.6% 18.8% $223

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Samara

$385 19% 41.5% $113

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

Samara

$220 10.8% 9.3% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Samara

$188 9.3% 11.3% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Samara

$173 8.5% 4.4% $7.3

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Samara

$83 4.1% 29.6% $19

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Samara

$16 * 0.8% 74.8% $47

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $1,373 in Samara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $62 in Samara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $385 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇨🇷 Samara

🕒 Local time

04:02 4:02 AM

22:02 10:02 PM

6 h behind Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

1,071

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Lisbon Samara 8,140 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Samara

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Samara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $2,032 in Samara, so Samara is about 8% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $3,315 in Lisbon and $3,048 in Samara 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: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $1,373 in Samara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $668 in Lisbon versus $502 in Samara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you’ll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $2,032 in Samara – Samara is about 8% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Samara gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Samara is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lisbon, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Samara are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.