Cost of Living Comparison Between Colchester and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Colchester and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,244 per month in Colchester vs $2,291 in Lisbon, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,408 per month in Colchester vs $3,322 in Lisbon, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,571 per month in Colchester vs $4,354 in Lisbon, rent included.

Colchester is about 2% cheaper than Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Colchester and Lisbon sit above the global median – Colchester by 68%, Lisbon by 71%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.09 £14.95

$16.19 €14.18

24.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.4 £70.3

$63.3 €55.5

49.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.83 £8.07

$10.32 €9.04

4.94%

Cappuccino

$4.78 £3.56

$2.83 €2.48

68.90%

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

$1.52 £1.13

$2.29 €2.01

-33.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.05 £0.78

$1.58 €1.38

-33.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.82 £5.08

$3.40 €2.98

100.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.21 £4.62

$4.03 €3.53

54.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 £1.21

$1.09 €0.96

49.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.34 £1.00

$1.75 €1.53

-23.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 £1.24

$1.76 €1.54

-5.11%

Eggs

$3.65 £2.72

$3.17 €2.77

15.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.47 £6.31

$13.19 €11.56

-35.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.15 £6.07

$7.97 €6.98

2.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.15 £9.79

$15.53 €13.60

-15.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 £2.25

$2.37 €2.07

27.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 £0.94

$1.71 €1.49

-26.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.01 £2.24

$2.01 €1.76

49.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 £1.97

$2.43 €2.13

8.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.25 £0.93

$1.76 €1.54

-28.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.44 £1.07

$2.03 €1.78

-29.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 £0.97

$1.92 €1.68

-31.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 £0.85

$0.85 €0.74

34.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.33 £13.65

$6.58 €5.76

178.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.84 £8.07

$5.58 €4.89

94.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 £1.99

$1.33 €1.17

100.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 £1.82

$2.97 €2.60

-17.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.46 £2.58

$2.28 €1.99

51.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.4 £58.4

$45.79 €40.10

71.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 £4.45

$4.23 €3.70

41.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 £1.11

$0.81 €0.71

83.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.28 £18.08

$18.44 €16.15

31.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 £1.46

$2.08 €1.82

-5.77%

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

$38.2K £28.5K

$34.7K €30.4K

10.29%

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

$41.5K £30.9K

$39.2K €34.3K

6.00%

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

$248 £185

$148 €130

67.44%

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

$14.36 £10.69

$20.46 €17.92

-29.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.30 £25.54

$39.56 €34.64

-13.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.26 £31.46

$47.99 €42.03

-11.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.69 £7.96

$18.60 €16.29

-42.53%

Cinema Ticket

$18.88 £14.06

$9.22 €8.08

104.77%

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

$1,357 £1,010

$616 €540

120.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.0K £17.1K

$16.4K €14.4K

39.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.1 £53.7

$103 €90.0

-29.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.76 £23.64

$41.74 €36.55

-23.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.4 £66.6

$94.8 €83.0

-5.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 £75.0

$122 €107

-17.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,143 £851

$1,633 €1,430

-29.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 £761

$1,232 €1,079

-17.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,647 £1,226

$3,098 €2,713

-46.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,796 £1,337

$2,031 €1,779

-11.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,273 £3,926

$7,831 €6,858

-32.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,600 £2,680

$4,389 €3,844

-17.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,871 £2,138

$1,607 €1,408

78.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.45

3.81

43.04%

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

Last update for Colchester: July 14, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,143 in Colchester versus $1,633 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 79% higher in Colchester, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $94.0 in Colchester versus $63.0 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $270 vs $267 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Colchester vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,244 in Colchester, $2,291 in Lisbon – roughly 2% apart. Lisbon costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,366 per month in Colchester and $3,437 in Lisbon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 71% less in Colchester. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,357 per month in Colchester and $616 in Lisbon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Colchester, where all-in costs run around $2,244, than in Lisbon at $2,291. In Colchester it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Lisbon has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,244 in Colchester to $2,291 in Lisbon. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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