Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Turrialba and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Turrialba: $1,724 a month against $2,206 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.

Turrialba, Costa Rica
Lisbon, Portugal
Turrialba
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,724
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,206
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Turrialba 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 Turrialba and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,724 in Turrialba versus $2,206 in Lisbon.

  • Turrialba $1,724
  • Lisbon $2,206

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,740 in Turrialba versus $3,276 in Lisbon.

  • Turrialba $2,740
  • Lisbon $3,276

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,757 in Turrialba versus $4,346 in Lisbon.

  • Turrialba $3,757
  • Lisbon $4,346

Living in Turrialba costs roughly 22% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Turrialba 27% above, Lisbon 63% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Turrialba
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.24 ₡5,503
$16.86 €15.08
-27.40%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$62.6 ₡28.1K
$61.0 €54.6
2.56%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.59 ₡5,210
$10.98 €9.82
5.56%
Cappuccino
$4.48 ₡2,013
$3.05 €2.73
46.89%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.76 ₡1,241
$2.28 €2.04
21.05%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.95 ₡875
$1.68 €1.50
16.07%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.20 ₡1,438
$3.44 €3.07
-6.98%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.45 ₡2,001
$3.91 €3.49
13.81%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Turrialba
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.35 ₡1,056
$1.15 €1.03
104.35%
White Bread (500g)
$3.01 ₡1,355
$1.89 €1.69
59.26%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.51 ₡1,130
$1.50 €1.34
67.33%
Eggs
$3.57 ₡1,604
$4.12 €3.68
-13.35%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.50 ₡4,721
$13.01 €11.63
-19.29%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.63 ₡4,778
$8.04 €7.19
32.21%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.87 ₡6,239
$17.89 €16.00
-22.47%
Apples (1kg)
$5.18 ₡2,329
$2.27 €2.03
128.19%
Banana (1kg)
$1.64 ₡738
$1.74 €1.56
-5.75%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.87 ₡2,188
$1.82 €1.63
167.58%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.92 ₡1,762
$2.69 €2.40
45.72%
Potato (1kg)
$3.80 ₡1,708
$1.77 €1.58
114.69%
Onion (1kg)
$3.59 ₡1,612
$1.94 €1.73
85.05%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.08 ₡487
$1.46 €1.31
-26.03%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$3.19 ₡1,436
$0.76 €0.68
319.74%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.07 ₡2,728
$6.66 €5.95
-8.86%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.88 ₡8,942
$5.64 €5.04
252.48%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.79 ₡1,255
$1.29 €1.15
116.28%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.58 ₡1,611
$2.14 €1.91
67.29%
🚌 Getting Around
Turrialba
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.30 ₡586
$2.30 €2.06
-43.48%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$44.02 €39.36
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.49 ₡1,118
$3.98 €3.56
-37.44%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.57 ₡706
$0.64 €0.57
145.31%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.72 ₡3,922
$18.93 €16.92
-53.94%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.52 ₡683
$2.28 €2.03
-33.33%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.3K ₡15.4M
$33.4K €29.8K
2.69%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$42.6K ₡19.2M
$38.5K €34.4K
10.73%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Turrialba
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$95.6 ₡43.0K
$158 €141
-39.57%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.61 ₡16.0K
$17.54 €15.68
103.02%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$59.7 ₡26.8K
$31.18 €27.89
91.31%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Turrialba
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$66.6 ₡29.9K
$44.64 €39.92
49.10%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$18.98 €16.97
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.56 ₡3,401
$9.58 €8.56
-21.09%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Turrialba
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$992 ₡446.1K
$674 €602
47.27%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.8K ₡7.6M
$18.7K €16.7K
-10.14%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Turrialba
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$71.1 ₡32.0K
$102 €91.4
-30.38%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$56.2 ₡25.3K
$45.90 €41.04
22.42%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$129 ₡57.9K
$102 €91.4
26.02%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$133 ₡59.6K
$122 €109
8.72%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Turrialba
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$788 ₡354.4K
$1,641 €1,467
-51.96%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$629 ₡283.0K
$1,187 €1,062
-46.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,892 ₡850.9K
$2,825 €2,526
-33.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,268 ₡570.1K
$2,018 €1,805
-37.19%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$7,836 €7,007
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$4,701 €4,204
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Turrialba
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,687 €1,508
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.62
3.82
125.65%

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

Last update for Turrialba: November 1, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Turrialba
$629
Lisbon
$1.2K 88.6% $558
Groceries & Markets
Turrialba
$401
Lisbon
$275 31.6% $127
Eating Out
Turrialba
$230
Lisbon
$245 6.6% $15
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Turrialba
$191
Lisbon
$207 8.4% $16
Clothing & Footwear
Turrialba
$175
Lisbon
$168 4.2% $7.4
Sport & Entertainment
Turrialba
$82
Lisbon
$64 21.9% $18
Getting Around
Turrialba
$16 *
Lisbon
$60 289% $45

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 $788 in Turrialba and $1,641 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63 in Turrialba vs $61 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $401 vs $275 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇷 Turrialba
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
13:08 1:08 PM
19:08 7:08 PM
6 h ahead of Turrialba
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
27,000
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 0.894 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Turrialba Lisbon 7,980 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Turrialba
  • 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
Turrialba vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Turrialba and in Lisbon?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,724 in Turrialba and $2,206 in Lisbon, so Turrialba is about 22% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Turrialba compared to Lisbon?
You’d need roughly $2,585 in Turrialba and $3,309 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Turrialba and in Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $788 in Turrialba versus $1,641 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 32% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city is more expensive overall: Turrialba or Lisbon?
All in, you’ll spend $1,724 per month in Turrialba versus $2,206 in Lisbon – Turrialba is about 22% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
How far does $2,500 go in Turrialba compared to Lisbon?
Either city works on $2,500 a month, though Turrialba 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 Turrialba and Lisbon?
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 Turrialba or Lisbon safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Turrialba and Lisbon are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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