Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and San Ignacio

For one person, living is cheaper in San Ignacio: $982 a month against $2,202 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $14,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

San Ignacio

🇧🇿 Belize

$982

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in San Ignacio

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 San Ignacio actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,202 in Lisbon versus $982 in San Ignacio.

Lisbon $2,202
San Ignacio $982

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,274 in Lisbon versus $1,270 in San Ignacio.

Lisbon $3,274
San Ignacio $1,270

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $1,558 in San Ignacio.

Lisbon $4,346
San Ignacio $1,558

Living in Lisbon is roughly 124% more expensive than in San Ignacio, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 62% above, San Ignacio is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.04 €15.15

$15.17 BZD 30.34

12.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 €55.4

$44.66 BZD 89.3

39.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 €9.80

Cappuccino

$3.12 €2.78

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

$2.27 €2.02

$1.03 BZD 2.05

120.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.55

$0.97 BZD 1.95

79.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 €3.04

$2.92 BZD 5.84

17.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 €3.33

$3.91 BZD 7.81

-4.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.04

$8.16 BZD 16.32

-85.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.66

$2.56 BZD 5.11

-27.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 €1.37

Eggs

$4.06 €3.61

$4.88 BZD 9.77

-16.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.91 €11.49

$15.12 BZD 30.25

-14.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.03

$3.76 BZD 7.51

110.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.64 €15.69

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

$4.86 BZD 9.72

-53.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 €1.68

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.27

$2.92 BZD 5.85

-12.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

$1.52 BZD 3.03

21.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$1.52 BZD 3.05

29.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.29

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 €0.69

$1.01 BZD 2.03

-23.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.71 €5.97

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €5.04

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.22

$1.52 BZD 3.04

-9.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.88

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 €2.07

$2.02 BZD 4.04

14.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.43 €39.52

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.95 €3.51

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 €0.93

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.15 €15.26

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 €1.95

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

$33.8K €30.0K

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

$38.3K €34.0K

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

$164 €146

$70.4 BZD 141

132.72%

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

$18.48 €16.43

$150 BZD 300

-87.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.96 €29.32

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.87 €40.80

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.68 €16.61

Cinema Ticket

$9.75 €8.67

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

$684 €608

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €92.3

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.20 €41.09

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.7 €88.7

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €111

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 €1,414

$608 BZD 1,216

161.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 €1,040

$344 BZD 689

239.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,851 €2,536

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,993 €1,773

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,793 €6,932

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,418 €3,930

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,600 €1,423

$989 BZD 1,977

61.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Last update for San Ignacio: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1%

San Ignacio

–

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$273 12.4%

San Ignacio

–

Eating Out

Lisbon

$247 11.2%

San Ignacio

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$215 9.8%

San Ignacio

–

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$168 7.7%

San Ignacio

–

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$65 3%

San Ignacio

–

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

San Ignacio

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,589 in Lisbon and $608 in San Ignacio. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 62% 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: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $45.00 in San Ignacio for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $257 per month, with San Ignacio cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇧🇿 San Ignacio

🕒 Local time

14:19 2:19 PM

07:19 7:19 AM

7 h behind Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

17,878

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Belize Dollar BZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 BZD = 0.5 USD

1 BZD = 0.445 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Lisbon San Ignacio 7,970 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

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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 San Ignacio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and San Ignacio differ by about 124% in total monthly costs ($2,202 vs $982 including rent). San Ignacio is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 62% 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: $1,589 in Lisbon versus $608 in San Ignacio. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in San Ignacio – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $62.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,202 per month in Lisbon versus $982 in San Ignacio – a 124% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $982 in San Ignacio versus $2,202 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in San Ignacio but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes San Ignacio 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 San Ignacio 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 San Ignacio gentler on the wallet – expenses run 124% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.