Cost of Living Comparison Between Cartagena and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Cartagena and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,451 in Cartagena versus $2,296 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,148 in Cartagena versus $3,376 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,844 in Cartagena versus $4,457 in Lisbon.

Living in Cartagena costs roughly 37% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cartagena 6% above, Lisbon 68% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.12 €13.18

$17.59 €15.33

-14.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.5 €51.0

$62.9 €54.8

-6.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.21 €7.16

$11.58 €10.10

-29.10%

Cappuccino

$2.67 €2.33

$3.10 €2.70

-13.87%

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

$2.64 €2.30

$2.49 €2.17

6.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 €1.62

$1.74 €1.52

6.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.44 €3.00

$3.48 €3.03

-1.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.48

$3.44 €3.00

16.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.08

$1.15 €1.00

7.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 €1.06

$1.91 €1.66

-36.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.63 €2.29

$1.50 €1.31

75.33%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.51

$3.98 €3.47

1.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.36 €11.65

$13.29 €11.59

0.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.03 €6.13

$8.01 €6.98

-12.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.36 €16.88

$18.04 €15.73

7.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.46 €2.14

$2.35 €2.05

4.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 €1.80

$1.75 €1.53

17.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 €1.43

$1.85 €1.62

-11.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.18 €2.77

$2.55 €2.22

24.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.31 €1.14

$1.84 €1.61

-28.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 €1.17

$2.10 €1.83

-36.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.66 €1.44

$1.49 €1.30

11.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 €0.57

$0.82 €0.71

-20.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.70 €4.97

$7.10 €6.19

-19.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.16 €5.37

$5.91 €5.15

4.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 €1.13

$1.31 €1.15

-0.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.17 €1.02

$2.13 €1.86

-45.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.51 €1.32

$2.36 €2.05

-36.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.68 €10.18

$46.62 €40.63

-74.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.85 €5.10

$4.08 €3.55

43.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.25 €1.96

$1.14 €0.99

97.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.21 €25.46

$17.09 €14.90

70.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.68 €1.47

$2.31 €2.01

-27.27%

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

$35.8K €31.2K

$34.1K €29.7K

5.03%

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

$30.6K €26.7K

$41.4K €36.1K

-25.95%

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

$216 €188

$169 €147

28.28%

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

$20.01 €17.44

$19.33 €16.85

3.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 €25.90

$33.51 €29.21

-11.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.17 €36.76

$48.84 €42.57

-13.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.88 €11.23

$19.43 €16.94

-33.71%

Cinema Ticket

$8.27 €7.21

$9.57 €8.34

-13.58%

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

$425 €371

$696 €607

-38.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,791 €2,433

$17.4K €15.1K

-83.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.37 €41.29

$105 €91.8

-55.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.32 €31.66

$47.75 €41.62

-23.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.7 €54.7

$101 €87.6

-37.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 €93.8

$124 €108

-13.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$614 €535

$1,662 €1,449

-63.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$510 €445

$1,246 €1,086

-59.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 €776

$2,965 €2,584

-69.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$746 €650

$2,049 €1,786

-63.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,792 €1,562

$7,834 €6,829

-77.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,463 €1,276

$4,464 €3,892

-67.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,741 €1,518

$1,632 €1,422

6.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

3.78

7.41%

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

Last update for Cartagena: September 14, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $614 in Cartagena and $1,662 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cartagena pays 7% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $59.0 in Cartagena vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $277 per month, with Cartagena 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

Cartagena vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cartagena wins on cost – living expenses run 58% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cartagena the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 7% higher in Cartagena, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $614 in Cartagena versus $1,662 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Cartagena – a meal for two runs $59.0 versus $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,451 per month in Cartagena versus $2,296 in Lisbon – a 58% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,451 in Cartagena versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cartagena but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Cartagena the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cartagena delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,451 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cartagena hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Cartagena 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 Cartagena gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.