Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cartagena and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Cartagena: $1,520 a month against $2,206 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Cartagena

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,520

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,206

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,520 per month in Cartagena vs $2,206 in Lisbon, rent included.

Cartagena $1,520
Lisbon $2,206

A couple spends around $2,565 per month in Cartagena vs $3,276 in Lisbon, rent included.

Cartagena $2,565
Lisbon $3,276

A family of three spends $3,610 per month in Cartagena vs $4,346 in Lisbon, rent included.

Cartagena $3,610
Lisbon $4,346

Cartagena is about 31% cheaper than Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Cartagena and Lisbon sit above the global median – Cartagena by 12%, Lisbon by 63%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.63 COP 18.2K

$16.86 €15.06

-66.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$142 COP 457.3K

$61.0 €54.5

132.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$10.98 €9.81

-7.19%

Cappuccino

$4.44 COP 14.3K

$3.05 €2.72

45.57%

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

$2.44 COP 7,873

$2.28 €2.04

7.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 COP 7,195

$1.68 €1.50

32.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$3.44 €3.07

-7.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.06 COP 16.3K

$3.91 €3.49

29.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 COP 6,118

$1.15 €1.03

65.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 COP 8,966

$1.89 €1.69

47.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 COP 4,613

$1.50 €1.34

-4.67%

Eggs

$4.96 COP 16.0K

$4.12 €3.68

20.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.42 COP 43.3K

$13.01 €11.62

3.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.30 COP 55.8K

$8.04 €7.18

115.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.89 €15.98

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 €2.03

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.56

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 €1.63

Tomato (1kg)

$2.69 €2.40

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.58

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 €1.73

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 €1.31

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 COP 6,636

$0.76 €0.68

171.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.66 €5.95

Wine (Bottle)

$14.10 COP 45.5K

$5.64 €5.04

150.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 COP 4,501

$1.29 €1.15

7.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.91

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 4,026

$2.30 €2.06

-45.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.0 COP 216.0K

$44.02 €39.32

52.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.65 COP 15.0K

$3.98 €3.56

16.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.69 COP 11.9K

$0.64 €0.57

476.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.53 COP 30.8K

$18.93 €16.90

-49.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 COP 4,339

$2.28 €2.03

-41.23%

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

$33.9K COP 109.5M

$33.4K €29.8K

1.63%

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

$35.0K COP 113.0M

$38.5K €34.4K

-9.04%

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

$79.0 COP 254.8K

$158 €141

-50.08%

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

$17.54 €15.67

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.18 €27.85

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.8 COP 176.9K

$44.64 €39.88

22.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.98 €16.95

Cinema Ticket

$8.10 COP 26.1K

$9.58 €8.55

-15.45%

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

$630 COP 2.0M

$674 €602

-6.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K COP 38.6M

$18.7K €16.7K

-36.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.3

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.90 €41.00

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €91.3

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €109

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,347 COP 4.3M

$1,641 €1,465

-17.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$842 COP 2.7M

$1,187 €1,060

-29.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,468 COP 8.0M

$2,825 €2,523

-12.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,580 COP 5.1M

$2,018 €1,803

-21.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,836 €6,999

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$921 COP 3.0M

$4,701 €4,199

-80.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$464 COP 1.5M

$1,687 €1,507

-72.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.82

292.67%

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

Last update for Cartagena: November 2, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cartagena

–

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Groceries & Markets

Cartagena

–

Lisbon

$275 12.5%

Eating Out

Cartagena

–

Lisbon

$245 11.1%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cartagena

–

Lisbon

$207 9.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Cartagena

–

Lisbon

$168 7.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Cartagena

–

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Getting Around

Cartagena

–

Lisbon

$60 2.7%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,347 in Cartagena versus $1,641 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 in Lisbon are about 3.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $142 in Cartagena versus $61 in Lisbon. Groceries tell a different story – $259 in Cartagena vs $275 in Lisbon – so Cartagena wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Cartagena

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

11:41 11:41 AM

16:41 4:41 PM

5 h ahead of Cartagena

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,028,736

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 3,227 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,613 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 0.893 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cartagena Lisbon 7,240 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Cartagena
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

Cartagena vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon costs about 45% more than Cartagena, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,279 per month in Cartagena and $3,309 in Lisbon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cartagena, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,347 there versus $1,641 in Lisbon.

Kindergarten costs $630 per month in Cartagena and $674 in Lisbon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 6% more in Lisbon, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,520 in Cartagena and $2,206 in Lisbon. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cartagena costs $1,520 versus $2,206 in Lisbon. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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