Cost of Living Comparison Between Columbia, TN and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Columbia, TN and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,286 in Columbia, TN versus $2,296 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,435 in Columbia, TN versus $3,376 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,585 in Columbia, TN versus $4,457 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs are close between Columbia, TN and Lisbon; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Columbia, TN 67% above, Lisbon 68% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.20 $12.20

$17.59 €15.32

-30.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.3 $59.3

$62.9 €54.8

-5.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.18 $10.18

$11.58 €10.09

-12.09%

Cappuccino

$3.83 $3.83

$3.10 €2.70

23.55%

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

$2.22 $2.22

$2.49 €2.17

-10.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.74 €1.52

-5.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.68 $6.68

$3.48 €3.03

91.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.31 $7.31

$3.44 €3.00

112.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.15 €1.00

-20.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 $2.89

$1.91 €1.66

51.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.10 $4.10

$1.50 €1.31

173.33%

Eggs

$2.60 $2.60

$3.98 €3.47

-34.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.10 $13.10

$13.29 €11.58

-1.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.42 $6.42

$8.01 €6.98

-19.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.34 $13.34

$18.04 €15.72

-26.05%

Apples (1kg)

$5.70 $5.70

$2.35 €2.05

142.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.75 €1.52

-29.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.90 $5.90

$1.85 €1.62

218.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.00 $4.00

$2.55 €2.22

56.86%

Potato (1kg)

$3.10 $3.10

$1.84 €1.61

68.48%

Onion (1kg)

$3.85 $3.85

$2.10 €1.83

83.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.57 $2.57

$1.49 €1.29

72.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$0.82 €0.71

219.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.90 $10.90

$7.10 €6.18

53.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.93 $12.93

$5.91 €5.15

118.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.31 €1.15

35.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 $1.66

$2.13 €1.86

-22.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.61

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.03 $2.03

$4.08 €3.55

-50.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 $1.34

$1.14 €0.99

17.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.75 $19.75

$17.09 €14.89

15.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.70 $0.70

$2.31 €2.01

-69.70%

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

$36.7K $36.7K

$34.1K €29.7K

7.40%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$41.4K €36.0K

-36.08%

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

$153 $153

$169 €147

-9.35%

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

$61.1 $61.1

$19.33 €16.84

216.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.8 $73.8

$33.51 €29.20

120.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.66 $35.66

$48.84 €42.55

-26.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.93

Cinema Ticket

$11.87 $11.87

$9.57 €8.34

24.03%

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

$592 $592

$696 €606

-15.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.2K $25.2K

$17.4K €15.1K

45.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.25 $39.25

$105 €91.7

-62.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.19 $33.19

$47.75 €41.60

-30.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.2 $81.2

$101 €87.6

-19.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.5 $91.5

$124 €108

-26.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,358 $1,358

$1,662 €1,448

-18.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,241 $1,241

$1,246 €1,086

-0.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,555 $2,555

$2,965 €2,583

-13.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,343 $2,343

$2,049 €1,785

14.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,825

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,889

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,484 $2,484

$1,632 €1,421

52.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.11

3.78

61.64%

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

Last update for Columbia, TN: September 12, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,358 in Columbia, TN and $1,662 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Columbia, TN pays 52% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $59.0 in Columbia, TN vs $63.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $353 vs $277, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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

Columbia, TN vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Average pay runs 52% higher in Columbia, TN, 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: $1,358 in Columbia, TN 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 Columbia, TN – 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.

Childcare runs $592 in Columbia, TN versus $696 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,286 in Columbia, TN versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Columbia, TN but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Columbia, TN the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Columbia, TN is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lisbon, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Columbia, TN 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.

It comes down to priorities – Columbia, TN wins on affordability, Lisbon on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.