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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,061 in San Juan del Sur.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,748 in San Juan del Sur.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $2,434 in San Juan del Sur.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, San Juan del Sur is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$4.25 NIO 156

280.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$33.73 NIO 1,235

87.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$5.54 NIO 203

86.28%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$2.43 NIO 88.8

16.46%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$0.79 NIO 28.88

189.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.67 NIO 24.45

135.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$1.33 NIO 48.78

155.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$2.03 NIO 74.5

98.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.26 NIO 46.32

-13.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.53 NIO 56.0

14.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.17 NIO 42.74

50.43%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$1.87 NIO 68.3

69.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$7.78 NIO 285

69.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$6.48 NIO 237

22.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$8.15 NIO 298

90.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$4.00 NIO 146

-40.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$0.83 NIO 30.35

106.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.83 NIO 67.2

9.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$2.17 NIO 79.4

11.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$3.22 NIO 118

-45.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.16 NIO 79.2

-6.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.07 NIO 39.10

79.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.06 NIO 38.70

-19.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$2.71 NIO 99.4

142.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$9.99 NIO 366

-44.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.42 NIO 51.9

-6.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.21 NIO 80.8

34.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$1.47 NIO 53.8

187.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$6.85 NIO 251

169.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.24 NIO 45.37

67.74%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$22.5K NIO 825.0K

53.91%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$26.2K NIO 958.4K

49.64%

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

$148 €130

$42.79 NIO 1,567

245.99%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$10.45 NIO 383

95.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$36.21 NIO 1,326

9.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$30.32 NIO 1,111

58.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$8.10 NIO 297

13.83%

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

$616 €539

$123 NIO 4,499

401.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$6,022 NIO 220.5K

173.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$75.9 NIO 2,780

35.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$72.9 NIO 2,668

-42.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$134 NIO 4,914

-29.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$108 NIO 3,951

13.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$464 NIO 17.0K

251.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$402 NIO 14.7K

206.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$962 NIO 35.2K

222.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$961 NIO 35.2K

111.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

$354 NIO 13.0K

354.47%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for San Juan del Sur: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $464 in San Juan del Sur. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 354% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $34.00 in San Juan del Sur for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $226 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 ($2,291 vs $1,061 including rent). San Juan del Sur is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 354% 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $464 in San Juan del Sur. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,291 per month in Lisbon versus $1,061 in San Juan del Sur – a 116% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,061 in San Juan del Sur versus $2,291 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.