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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,040 in San Juan del Sur versus $2,316 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,663 in San Juan del Sur versus $3,361 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,285 in San Juan del Sur versus $4,405 in Lisbon.

Living in San Juan del Sur costs roughly 55% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: San Juan del Sur is 24% below, Lisbon is 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.32 NIO 158

$17.30 €14.93

-75.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.13 NIO 1,213

$63.3 €54.6

-47.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.65 NIO 207

$11.39 €9.83

-50.40%

Cappuccino

$2.51 NIO 91.9

$3.19 €2.75

-21.32%

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

$0.88 NIO 32.30

$2.45 €2.11

-64.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 NIO 26.63

$1.76 €1.52

-58.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.44 NIO 52.8

$3.59 €3.10

-59.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 NIO 74.5

$3.39 €2.93

-40.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 NIO 43.35

$1.24 €1.07

-4.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 NIO 56.2

$1.98 €1.71

-22.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 NIO 42.64

$1.52 €1.31

-23.68%

Eggs

$2.33 NIO 85.2

$4.04 €3.49

-42.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.84 NIO 287

$13.54 €11.68

-42.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.24 NIO 229

$8.39 €7.24

-25.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.14 NIO 262

$18.25 €15.75

-60.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.68 NIO 135

$2.29 €1.98

60.70%

Banana (1kg)

$0.58 NIO 21.35

$1.74 €1.50

-66.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 NIO 64.7

$1.86 €1.60

-4.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 NIO 79.7

$2.63 €2.27

-17.11%

Potato (1kg)

$3.19 NIO 117

$1.92 €1.65

66.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 NIO 78.8

$2.09 €1.81

2.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 NIO 36.61

$1.44 €1.24

-30.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 NIO 39.22

$0.84 €0.73

27.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.72 NIO 99.7

$6.78 €5.85

-59.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.88 NIO 362

$5.71 €4.93

73.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 NIO 53.6

$1.38 €1.19

5.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 NIO 84.5

$2.22 €1.91

4.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.07

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.37

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.66 NIO 60.8

$4.17 €3.60

-60.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 NIO 60.5

$1.14 €0.98

44.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.93 NIO 254

$17.68 €15.26

-60.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 NIO 49.15

$2.32 €2.01

-42.24%

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

$22.9K NIO 837.1K

$35.3K €30.5K

-35.32%

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

$26.2K NIO 960.8K

$41.4K €35.8K

-36.70%

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

$60.4 NIO 2,211

$170 €147

-64.55%

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

$10.59 NIO 388

$19.34 €16.69

-45.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.66 NIO 1,306

$33.64 €29.03

6.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.73 NIO 1,126

$48.10 €41.50

-36.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.17

Cinema Ticket

$8.60 NIO 315

$9.92 €8.56

-13.31%

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

$232 NIO 8,493

$717 €619

-67.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,167 NIO 225.9K

$17.5K €15.1K

-64.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.2 NIO 2,606

$105 €90.4

-32.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$72.3 NIO 2,648

$46.95 €40.51

53.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 NIO 4,777

$103 €89.2

26.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 NIO 3,909

$124 €107

-13.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$420 NIO 15.4K

$1,677 €1,447

-74.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$389 NIO 14.2K

$1,271 €1,097

-69.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$931 NIO 34.1K

$2,985 €2,575

-68.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$771 NIO 28.2K

$1,992 €1,719

-61.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,753

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,019

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$348 NIO 12.7K

$1,583 €1,366

-78.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.25

3.79

170.45%

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

Last update for San Juan del Sur: August 29, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $420 in San Juan del Sur and $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 355% 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: $33.00 in San Juan del Sur vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $220 vs $283 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

San Juan del Sur vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Juan del Sur and Lisbon differ by about 123% in total monthly costs ($1,040 vs $2,316 including rent). San Juan del Sur is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 355% lower in Lisbon. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $420 in San Juan del Sur versus $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,040 per month in San Juan del Sur versus $2,316 in Lisbon – a 123% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,040 in San Juan del Sur versus $2,316 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, San Juan del Sur 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 San Juan del Sur gentler on the wallet – expenses run 123% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.