Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Samara and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Samara: $2,007 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

98

Cost of Living Index in Samara
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Samara Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Samara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,007

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Samara and in Lisbon

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Samara and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,007 in Samara versus $2,223 in Lisbon.

Samara $2,007
Lisbon $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,528 in Samara versus $3,271 in Lisbon.

Samara $3,528
Lisbon $3,271

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,050 in Samara versus $4,319 in Lisbon.

Samara $5,050
Lisbon $4,319

Living in Samara costs roughly 10% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Samara 49% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.84 ₡4,864

$16.50 €14.67

-34.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.2 ₡27.9K

$61.3 €54.5

1.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,250

$11.27 €10.03

3.90%

Cappuccino

$4.38 ₡1,965

$3.06 €2.72

43.14%

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

$2.72 ₡1,218

$2.26 €2.01

20.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 ₡851

$1.73 €1.54

9.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.27 ₡1,464

$3.39 €3.02

-3.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 ₡2,043

$3.40 €3.02

34.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,056

$1.12 €1.00

110.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 ₡1,407

$1.86 €1.65

68.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 ₡1,075

$1.53 €1.36

56.86%

Eggs

$3.47 ₡1,556

$3.96 €3.53

-12.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.73 ₡4,812

$12.76 €11.35

-15.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.58 ₡4,746

$7.90 €7.02

33.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.85 ₡4,864

$16.97 €15.09

-36.06%

Apples (1kg)

$5.02 ₡2,252

$2.27 €2.02

121.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 ₡705

$1.75 €1.55

-10.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,153

$1.85 €1.64

159.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,728

$2.57 €2.28

49.81%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,728

$1.86 €1.65

106.99%

Onion (1kg)

$3.61 ₡1,618

$2.02 €1.80

78.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ₡483

$1.44 €1.28

-25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,445

$0.82 €0.73

292.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.40 ₡2,423

$6.56 €5.83

-17.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.51 ₡8,752

$5.62 €5.00

247.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,254

$1.28 €1.14

118.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₡1,056

$2.07 €1.84

14.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ₡613

$2.35 €2.09

-41.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.18 €39.30

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.40 ₡1,078

$3.99 €3.55

-39.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡693

$1.09 €0.97

42.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.46 ₡3,793

$16.64 €14.81

-49.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ₡668

$2.28 €2.03

-34.65%

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

$22.2K ₡10.0M

$33.7K €30.0K

-34.02%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$39.3K €35.0K

-12.14%

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

$93.7 ₡42.0K

$167 €149

-44.06%

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

$36.05 ₡16.2K

$18.80 €16.72

91.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.2 ₡26.1K

$33.09 €29.43

75.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.9 ₡32.7K

$46.01 €40.93

58.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.19 €17.07

Cinema Ticket

$7.53 ₡3,376

$9.84 €8.75

-23.48%

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

$497 ₡223.0K

$677 €602

-26.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,064 ₡2.7M

$16.9K €15.1K

-64.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.2 ₡29.2K

$101 €90.1

-35.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.5 ₡24.9K

$45.76 €40.70

21.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 ₡58.6K

$100.0 €88.9

30.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 ₡60.2K

$123 €109

9.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,393 ₡624.9K

$1,614 €1,436

-13.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$935 ₡419.2K

$1,197 €1,065

-21.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 ₡1.6M

$2,862 €2,545

28.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,613 ₡1.2M

$1,990 €1,770

31.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,004 ₡2.2M

$7,577 €6,740

-33.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,307 €3,831

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,588 €1,412

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

3.85

123.90%

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

Last update for Samara: October 12, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Samara

$935 46.6%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9% 28.1% $262

Groceries & Markets

Samara

$389 19.4%

Lisbon

$269 12.1% 30.7% $119

Eating Out

Samara

$218 10.9%

Lisbon

$242 10.9% 10.9% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Samara

$188 9.4%

Lisbon

$219 9.9% 16.8% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Samara

$174 8.7%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 4.1% $7.1

Sport & Entertainment

Samara

$88 4.4%

Lisbon

$66 3% 25.4% $22

Getting Around

Samara

$16 * 0.8%

Lisbon

$63 2.8% 304% $47

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 $1,393 in Samara and $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $62.0 in Samara vs $61.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $389 vs $269 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Samara

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

20:50 8:50 PM

03:50 3:50 AM

7 h ahead of Samara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,071

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Samara Lisbon 8,140 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Samara
Lisbon

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

Samara vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Samara and Lisbon differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($2,007 vs $2,223 including rent). Samara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,010 in Samara and $3,335 in Lisbon 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,393 in Samara versus $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 44% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,007 per month in Samara versus $2,223 in Lisbon – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,007 in Samara versus $2,223 in Lisbon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Samara but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Samara 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, Samara and Lisbon 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 Samara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.