Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Boulder, CO and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,202 a month against $3,518 in Boulder, CO, rent and utilities included – about $15,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

169

Cost of Living Index in Boulder, CO
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Boulder, CO Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Boulder, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$3,518

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,518 per month in Boulder, CO vs $2,202 in Lisbon, rent included.

Boulder, CO $3,518
Lisbon $2,202

A couple spends around $5,103 per month in Boulder, CO vs $3,274 in Lisbon, rent included.

Boulder, CO $5,103
Lisbon $3,274

A family of three spends $6,689 per month in Boulder, CO vs $4,346 in Lisbon, rent included.

Boulder, CO $6,689
Lisbon $4,346

Boulder, CO costs about 60% more than Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Boulder, CO and Lisbon sit above the global median – Boulder, CO by 160%, Lisbon by 62%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.81 $19.81

$17.04 €15.15

16.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.3 $79.3

$62.3 €55.4

27.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.07 $15.07

$11.02 €9.80

36.75%

Cappuccino

$5.56 $5.56

$3.12 €2.78

78.21%

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

$3.70 $3.70

$2.27 €2.02

63.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 $2.88

$1.74 €1.55

65.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.09 $7.09

$3.42 €3.04

107.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$3.74 €3.33

136.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 $1.18

$1.17 €1.04

0.85%

White Bread (500g)

$5.55 $5.55

$1.86 €1.66

198.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.50 $6.50

$1.54 €1.37

322.08%

Eggs

$5.53 $5.53

$4.06 €3.61

36.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.85 $11.85

$12.91 €11.49

-8.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.91 $10.91

$7.90 €7.03

38.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.35 $17.35

$17.64 €15.69

-1.64%

Apples (1kg)

$5.93 $5.93

$2.26 €2.01

162.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.75 €1.55

-16.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.35 $6.35

$1.89 €1.68

235.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.09 $6.09

$2.56 €2.27

137.89%

Potato (1kg)

$3.92 $3.92

$1.85 €1.64

111.89%

Onion (1kg)

$3.84 $3.84

$1.97 €1.75

94.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.35 $3.35

$1.45 €1.29

131.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 $2.65

$0.77 €0.69

244.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.24 $10.24

$6.71 €5.97

52.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.23 $17.23

$5.67 €5.04

203.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.37 €1.22

35.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 $4.94

$2.11 €1.88

134.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.32 €2.07

21.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$152 $152

$44.43 €39.52

241.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.43 $2.43

$3.95 €3.51

-38.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 $1.38

$1.05 €0.93

31.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.21 $24.21

$17.15 €15.26

41.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$2.19 €1.95

-50.68%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$33.8K €30.0K

-18.67%

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

$26.9K $26.9K

$38.3K €34.0K

-29.72%

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

$279 $279

$164 €146

70.33%

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

$72.1 $72.1

$18.48 €16.43

290.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.2 $74.2

$32.96 €29.32

124.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$83.1 $83.1

$45.87 €40.80

81.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.21 $20.21

$18.68 €16.61

8.19%

Cinema Ticket

$16.72 $16.72

$9.75 €8.67

71.49%

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

$1,633 $1,633

$684 €608

138.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.2K $31.2K

$17.6K €15.7K

77.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.2 $69.2

$104 €92.3

-33.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.21 $48.21

$46.20 €41.09

4.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 $92.2

$99.7 €88.7

-7.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$125 €111

15.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,374 $2,374

$1,589 €1,414

49.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,825 $1,825

$1,169 €1,040

56.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,307 $4,307

$2,851 €2,536

51.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 $3,069

$1,993 €1,773

53.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,420 $4,420

$7,793 €6,932

-43.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,495 $4,495

$4,418 €3,930

1.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,629 $5,629

$1,600 €1,423

251.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

3.85

70.13%

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

Last update for Boulder, CO: October 17, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Boulder, CO

$1.8K 51.9%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1% 35.9% $655

Groceries & Markets

Boulder, CO

$470 13.4%

Lisbon

$273 12.4% 41.9% $197

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Boulder, CO

$425 12.1%

Lisbon

$215 9.8% 49.4% $210

Eating Out

Boulder, CO

$350 10%

Lisbon

$247 11.2% 29.3% $102

Getting Around

Boulder, CO

$173 4.9%

Lisbon

$63 2.9% 63.5% $110

Clothing & Footwear

Boulder, CO

$159 4.5%

Lisbon

$168 7.7% 6% $9.5

Sport & Entertainment

Boulder, CO

$117 3.3%

Lisbon

$65 3% 43.9% $51

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,374 in Boulder, CO versus $1,589 in Lisbon. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 252% higher in Boulder, CO, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79.0 in Boulder, CO versus $62.0 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $470 vs $273 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Boulder, CO

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

13:23 1:23 PM

20:23 8:23 PM

7 h ahead of Boulder, CO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

106,803

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Boulder, CO Lisbon 7,830 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Boulder, CO
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

Boulder, CO vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Boulder, CO is pricier by about 60%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,277 per month in Boulder, CO and $3,302 in Lisbon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lisbon, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 72% more in Boulder, CO, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79.0 in Boulder, CO and $62.0 in Lisbon. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Lisbon, where all-in costs run around $2,202, than in Boulder, CO at $3,518. In Lisbon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Boulder, CO it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Lisbon – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Lisbon. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Boulder, CO makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.