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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,218 per month in Colchester vs $2,210 in Lisbon, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,371 per month in Colchester vs $3,311 in Lisbon, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,524 per month in Colchester vs $4,411 in Lisbon, rent included.

Colchester and Lisbon have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Colchester and Lisbon sit above the global median – Colchester by 66%, Lisbon by 65%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.60 £15.35

$15.91 €13.70

29.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.2 £71.7

$64.8 €55.8

48.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.81 £8.05

$10.51 €9.05

2.85%

Cappuccino

$4.73 £3.52

$2.87 €2.47

64.81%

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

$1.57 £1.17

$2.24 €1.93

-29.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.08 £0.81

$1.50 €1.29

-28.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.72 £5.01

$3.49 €3.01

92.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.16 £4.59

$3.88 €3.34

58.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 £1.17

$1.14 €0.98

37.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.27 £0.95

$1.75 €1.51

-27.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 £1.29

$1.76 €1.51

-1.70%

Eggs

$3.73 £2.78

$3.22 €2.77

15.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.46 £6.30

$13.49 €11.61

-37.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.41 £6.27

$7.91 €6.81

6.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.06 £9.73

$15.87 €13.67

-17.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 £2.15

$2.31 €1.99

24.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 £0.94

$1.70 €1.46

-25.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 £2.21

$2.01 €1.73

47.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.58 £1.92

$2.46 €2.12

4.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 £0.96

$1.84 €1.59

-29.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 £1.08

$2.00 €1.72

-27.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 £0.93

$1.93 €1.66

-35.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 £0.86

$0.79 €0.68

45.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.71 £13.94

$6.61 €5.69

183.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.99 £8.19

$5.72 €4.93

92.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 £1.92

$1.37 €1.18

88.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 £1.81

$2.97 €2.56

-18.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.36 £2.50

$2.37 €2.04

41.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.6 £57.8

$45.56 €39.22

70.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.13 £4.56

$4.29 €3.69

42.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 £1.11

$0.82 €0.70

81.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.13 £17.98

$18.30 €15.76

31.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 £1.42

$2.06 €1.78

-7.28%

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

$38.2K £28.5K

$34.3K €29.5K

11.55%

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

$41.4K £30.8K

$39.3K €33.8K

5.35%

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

$248 £185

$148 €127

67.70%

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

$14.51 £10.81

$20.52 €17.67

-29.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.09 £26.14

$39.61 €34.10

-11.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.01 £31.30

$47.85 €41.19

-12.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 £7.99

$18.92 €16.29

-43.29%

Cinema Ticket

$18.85 £14.04

$9.18 €7.91

105.34%

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

$1,337 £996

$614 €529

117.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.1K £17.2K

$16.0K €13.8K

43.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.0 £54.4

$105 €90.1

-30.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.61 £23.55

$42.06 €36.21

-24.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.4 £66.6

$94.0 €80.9

-4.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 £75.8

$120 €103

-15.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 £839

$1,628 €1,401

-30.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,019 £759

$1,255 €1,081

-18.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,664 £1,240

$3,030 €2,609

-45.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,786 £1,331

$2,020 €1,739

-11.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,179 £3,858

$7,800 €6,715

-33.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,687 £2,747

$4,273 €3,678

-13.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,153 £2,349

$1,603 €1,380

96.63%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,126 in Colchester versus $1,628 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 97% higher in Colchester. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $96.0 in Colchester versus $65.0 in Lisbon. Groceries tell a different story – $269 in Colchester vs $269 in Lisbon – so Colchester wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,327 per month in Colchester and $3,315 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $96.0 in Colchester and $65.0 in Lisbon. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 70% less in Lisbon. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Lisbon, where all-in costs run around $2,210, than in Colchester at $2,218. In Lisbon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Colchester 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 $2,210 in Lisbon to $2,218 in Colchester. 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 Lisbon. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Colchester makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.