Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and San Ramon

For one person, living is cheaper in San Ramon: $1,729 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Lisbon, Portugal
San Ramon, Costa Rica
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
San Ramon
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,729
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,729 in San Ramon.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • San Ramon $1,729

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $2,722 in San Ramon.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • San Ramon $2,722

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $3,715 in San Ramon.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • San Ramon $3,715

Living in Lisbon is roughly 28% more expensive than in San Ramon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, San Ramon 27% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
San Ramon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.95
$12.18 ₡5,497
36.70%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.5
$61.9 ₡27.9K
-0.19%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.20
$11.69 ₡5,273
-2.82%
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.67
$3.82 ₡1,726
-22.25%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.06
$2.21 ₡996
3.62%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.56
$1.96 ₡883
-11.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.06
$3.01 ₡1,356
12.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.97
$4.71 ₡2,125
-29.72%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
San Ramon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.04
$2.39 ₡1,076
-51.46%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.72
$3.04 ₡1,371
-37.17%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.36
$2.53 ₡1,140
-40.32%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.61
$5.07 ₡2,286
-20.71%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.62
$10.78 ₡4,867
20.04%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.98
$10.31 ₡4,652
-24.64%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.95
$14.28 ₡6,443
24.37%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.07
$4.99 ₡2,252
-53.91%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.56
$1.55 ₡700
11.61%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.67
$3.26 ₡1,470
-42.94%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.33
$3.42 ₡1,545
-24.27%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.64
$3.19 ₡1,442
-42.95%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.77
$3.22 ₡1,452
-38.82%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.32
$1.21 ₡547
21.49%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$2.74 ₡1,236
-73.72%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.91
$5.56 ₡2,509
18.35%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.04
$16.31 ₡7,359
-65.60%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$2.56 ₡1,154
-46.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.92
$2.73 ₡1,233
-21.61%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
San Ramon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 €2.10
$1.30 ₡587
79.23%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.68 €40.14
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.85 €3.46
$2.45 ₡1,108
57.14%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.96
$1.57 ₡708
-31.85%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.79
$8.87 ₡4,003
85.57%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.98
$1.55 ₡700
41.94%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.7K
$34.5K ₡15.6M
-0.88%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.8K
$41.3K ₡18.7M
-6.31%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
San Ramon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €145
$144 ₡65.2K
11.63%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.54
$44.11 ₡19.9K
-58.26%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.41
$53.9 ₡24.3K
-39.22%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
San Ramon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €40.02
$59.0 ₡26.6K
-24.52%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.16
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.62
$7.81 ₡3,524
22.92%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
San Ramon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €600
$843 ₡380.6K
-20.84%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.8K
$17.0K ₡7.7M
3.31%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
San Ramon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.6
$70.5 ₡31.8K
44.73%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.94
$55.3 ₡24.9K
-19.54%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €88.5
$129 ₡58.1K
-23.45%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$125 ₡56.5K
-1.20%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
San Ramon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 €1,445
$816 ₡368.4K
97.02%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,069
$626 ₡282.3K
90.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,812 €2,526
$1,903 ₡858.6K
47.80%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,013 €1,808
$1,249 ₡563.6K
61.17%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,839 €7,042
$1,145 ₡516.5K
584.88%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,576 €4,110
$1,156 ₡521.5K
295.95%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
San Ramon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,415
-
-
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 San Ramon: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
San Ramon
$626 47.4% $564
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
San Ramon
$380 39.7% $108
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
San Ramon
$220 9.5% $23
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
San Ramon
$242 14.2% $30
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
San Ramon
$171 3% $4.9
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
San Ramon
$75 17.1% $11
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
San Ramon
$16 * 75.5% $48

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 $816 in San Ramon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $62 in San Ramon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $380 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇨🇷 San Ramon
🕒 Local time
19:58 7:58 PM
13:58 1:58 PM
6 h behind Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
10,000
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon San Ramon 8,040 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • San Ramon

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 Ramon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in San Ramon?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $1,729 in San Ramon, so San Ramon is about 22% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Lisbon compared to San Ramon?
You’d need roughly $3,315 in Lisbon and $2,593 in San Ramon 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Lisbon and in San Ramon?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $816 in San Ramon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Lisbon and San Ramon?
Childcare runs $668 in Lisbon versus $843 in San Ramon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city is more expensive overall: Lisbon or San Ramon?
All in, you’ll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $1,729 in San Ramon – San Ramon is about 22% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
How far does $3,000 go in Lisbon compared to San Ramon?
Either city works on $3,000 a month, though San Ramon gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and San Ramon?
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.
Is Lisbon or San Ramon safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and San Ramon are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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