Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and San Juan del Sur Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and San Juan del Sur

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,022 in San Juan del Sur.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,719 in San Juan del Sur.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $2,417 in San Juan del Sur.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 116% more expensive than San Juan del Sur, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, San Juan del Sur is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$4.25 NIO 156

274.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$33.80 NIO 1,238

91.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$5.52 NIO 202

90.40%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.35 NIO 86.0

22.13%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.85 NIO 31.14

163.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.68 NIO 25.06

120.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$1.30 NIO 47.48

168.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$2.02 NIO 73.9

92.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.26 NIO 46.20

-9.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.48 NIO 54.1

18.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.17 NIO 42.88

50.43%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$1.96 NIO 71.7

64.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$7.79 NIO 285

73.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$6.39 NIO 234

23.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$7.97 NIO 292

99.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$3.85 NIO 141

-40.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$0.84 NIO 30.90

102.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.78 NIO 65.1

12.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.26 NIO 82.8

8.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$3.14 NIO 115

-41.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$2.17 NIO 79.5

-7.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.01 NIO 36.99

91.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$1.01 NIO 36.93

-21.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$2.61 NIO 95.4

153.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$9.65 NIO 354

-40.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.46 NIO 53.5

-6.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.23 NIO 81.9

33.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$1.47 NIO 53.9

191.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$6.83 NIO 250

167.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.25 NIO 45.66

64.80%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$22.9K NIO 838.0K

49.82%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$25.9K NIO 948.6K

51.71%

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

$148 €127

$41.71 NIO 1,528

254.52%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$10.58 NIO 388

93.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$36.56 NIO 1,339

8.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$29.69 NIO 1,087

61.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$7.80 NIO 286

17.69%

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

$614 €528

$123 NIO 4,505

399.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$5,973 NIO 218.8K

168.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$78.8 NIO 2,884

32.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$73.8 NIO 2,702

-42.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$130 NIO 4,761

-27.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$110 NIO 4,025

8.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$461 NIO 16.9K

252.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$409 NIO 15.0K

206.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$955 NIO 35.0K

217.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$958 NIO 35.1K

110.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$280 NIO 10.2K

473.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

10.25

-62.83%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for San Juan del Sur: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $461 in San Juan del Sur. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 474% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $34.00 in San Juan del Sur for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $223 per month, with San Juan del Sur cheaper across the board.

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 Juan del Sur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and San Juan del Sur differ by about 116% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,022 including rent). San Juan del Sur is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 474% more on average, 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $461 in San Juan del Sur. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $1,022 in San Juan del Sur – a 116% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,022 in San Juan del Sur versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in San Juan del Sur but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes San Juan del Sur 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 Juan del Sur 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 Juan del Sur gentler on the wallet – expenses run 116% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.