Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and San Isidro, Costa Rica

For one person, living is cheaper in San Isidro: $1,676 a month against $2,206 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

106

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
81

Cost of Living Index in San Isidro
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San Isidro Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,206

/mo nomad

San Isidro

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,676

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,206 in Lisbon versus $1,676 in San Isidro.

Lisbon $2,206
San Isidro $1,676

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,276 in Lisbon versus $2,650 in San Isidro.

Lisbon $3,276
San Isidro $2,650

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $3,623 in San Isidro.

Lisbon $4,346
San Isidro $3,623

Living in Lisbon is roughly 32% more expensive than in San Isidro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 63% above, San Isidro 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.86 €15.08

$11.90 ₡5,353

41.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.0 €54.6

$57.6 ₡25.9K

5.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.98 €9.82

$11.51 ₡5,177

-4.60%

Cappuccino

$3.05 €2.73

$4.22 ₡1,897

-27.73%

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

$2.28 €2.04

$2.50 ₡1,123

-8.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 €1.50

$1.86 ₡837

-9.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.44 €3.07

$3.34 ₡1,504

2.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.49

$4.38 ₡1,972

-10.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.03

$2.34 ₡1,050

-50.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 €1.69

$3.02 ₡1,356

-37.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.34

$2.50 ₡1,122

-40.00%

Eggs

$4.12 €3.68

$3.43 ₡1,543

20.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.01 €11.63

$10.72 ₡4,822

21.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.04 €7.19

$10.66 ₡4,795

-24.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.89 €16.00

$14.17 ₡6,374

26.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 €2.03

$4.96 ₡2,229

-54.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.56

$1.67 ₡750

4.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 €1.63

$3.28 ₡1,474

-44.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.69 €2.40

$3.52 ₡1,584

-23.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.58

$2.86 ₡1,284

-38.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 €1.73

$3.16 ₡1,419

-38.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 €1.31

$1.03 ₡463

41.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 €0.68

$2.65 ₡1,192

-71.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.66 €5.95

$5.63 ₡2,531

18.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.64 €5.04

$16.48 ₡7,412

-65.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.15

$2.64 ₡1,185

-51.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.91

$2.71 ₡1,220

-21.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.30 €2.06

$1.30 ₡583

76.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.02 €39.36

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.98 €3.56

$2.22 ₡997

79.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 €0.57

$1.83 ₡822

-65.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.93 €16.92

$8.65 ₡3,891

118.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.03

$1.52 ₡682

50.00%

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

$33.4K €29.8K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-3.64%

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

$38.5K €34.4K

$40.6K ₡18.3M

-5.25%

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

$158 €141

$93.6 ₡42.1K

68.99%

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

$17.54 €15.68

$30.02 ₡13.5K

-41.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.18 €27.89

$59.9 ₡26.9K

-47.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.64 €39.92

$66.6 ₡30.0K

-33.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.98 €16.97

Cinema Ticket

$9.58 €8.56

$7.97 ₡3,584

20.20%

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

$674 €602

$857 ₡385.5K

-21.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.7K €16.7K

$15.9K ₡7.2M

17.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.4

$69.2 ₡31.1K

47.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.90 €41.04

$48.22 ₡21.7K

-4.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €91.4

$127 ₡57.2K

-19.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €109

$138 ₡62.2K

-11.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 €1,467

$809 ₡364.0K

102.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 €1,062

$624 ₡280.7K

90.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,825 €2,526

$1,908 ₡858.1K

48.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,018 €1,805

$1,245 ₡559.9K

62.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,836 €7,007

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,701 €4,204

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,687 €1,508

$1,101 ₡495.2K

53.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.82

8.62

-55.68%

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

Last update for Lisbon: November 1, 2026

Last update for San Isidro: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

San Isidro

$624 37.3% 47.4% $563

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$275 12.5%

San Isidro

$373 22.3% 35.9% $99

Eating Out

Lisbon

$245 11.1%

San Isidro

$223 13.3% 8.9% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$207 9.4%

San Isidro

$184 11% 11.3% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$168 7.6%

San Isidro

$172 10.3% 2.9% $4.8

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

San Isidro

$83 4.9% 29.4% $19

Getting Around

Lisbon

$60 2.7%

San Isidro

$17 * 1% 72.6% $44

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 $1,641 in Lisbon and $809 in San Isidro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 53% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $61 in Lisbon vs $58 in San Isidro. Groceries flip the comparison at $275 vs $373, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇨🇷 San Isidro

🕒 Local time

22:42 10:42 PM

16:42 4:42 PM

6 h behind Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

17,000

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 0.894 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lisbon San Isidro 8,010 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
San Isidro

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 San Isidro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,206 in Lisbon and $1,676 in San Isidro, so San Isidro is about 24% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 53% 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: $1,641 in Lisbon versus $809 in San Isidro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 26% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you’ll spend $2,206 per month in Lisbon versus $1,676 in San Isidro – San Isidro is about 24% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,676 in San Isidro versus $2,206 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in San Isidro but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes San Isidro 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 Isidro are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – San Isidro wins on affordability, Lisbon on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.