Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Columbus, OH and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,202 a month against $2,491 in Columbus, OH, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. The total is higher in Columbus, OH despite lower rent and utilities.

121

Cost of Living Index in Columbus, OH
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Columbus, OH Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
Learn more

Lisbon Living Index

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Columbus, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$2,491

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,491 per month in Columbus, OH vs $2,202 in Lisbon, rent included.

Columbus, OH $2,491
Lisbon $2,202

A couple spends around $3,714 per month in Columbus, OH vs $3,274 in Lisbon, rent included.

Columbus, OH $3,714
Lisbon $3,274

A family of three spends $4,936 per month in Columbus, OH vs $4,346 in Lisbon, rent included.

Columbus, OH $4,936
Lisbon $4,346

Columbus, OH costs about 13% more than Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Columbus, OH and Lisbon sit above the global median – Columbus, OH by 84%, Lisbon by 62%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.03 $22.03

$17.04 €15.15

29.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.8 $77.8

$62.3 €55.4

24.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.86 $11.86

$11.02 €9.80

7.62%

Cappuccino

$5.49 $5.49

$3.12 €2.78

75.96%

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

$2.54 $2.54

$2.27 €2.02

11.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.74 €1.55

14.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.87 $5.87

$3.42 €3.04

71.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 $7.19

$3.74 €3.33

92.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.17 €1.04

-23.08%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 $3.13

$1.86 €1.66

68.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.27 $5.27

$1.54 €1.37

242.21%

Eggs

$3.78 $3.78

$4.06 €3.61

-6.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.83 $13.83

$12.91 €11.49

7.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.55 $14.55

$7.90 €7.03

84.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.83 $15.83

$17.64 €15.69

-10.26%

Apples (1kg)

$6.42 $6.42

$2.26 €2.01

184.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.75 €1.55

-1.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$1.89 €1.68

220.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.81 $4.81

$2.56 €2.27

87.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.84 $2.84

$1.85 €1.64

53.51%

Onion (1kg)

$3.45 $3.45

$1.97 €1.75

75.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.45 €1.29

49.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 $2.37

$0.77 €0.69

207.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.06 $10.06

$6.71 €5.97

49.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.46 $16.46

$5.67 €5.04

190.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.37 €1.22

54.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.11 €1.88

42.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.32 €2.07

-14.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.2 $63.2

$44.43 €39.52

42.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 $2.92

$3.95 €3.51

-26.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 $1.30

$1.05 €0.93

23.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.20 $27.20

$17.15 €15.26

58.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$2.19 €1.95

-54.34%

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

$31.0K $31.0K

$33.8K €30.0K

-8.13%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$38.3K €34.0K

-32.62%

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

$222 $222

$164 €146

35.79%

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

$65.4 $65.4

$18.48 €16.43

253.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.8 $67.8

$32.96 €29.32

105.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.63 $35.63

$45.87 €40.80

-22.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.46 $41.46

$18.68 €16.61

121.95%

Cinema Ticket

$13.23 $13.23

$9.75 €8.67

35.69%

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

$1,610 $1,610

$684 €608

135.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.9K $33.9K

$17.6K €15.7K

92.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.89 $48.89

$104 €92.3

-52.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.71 $41.71

$46.20 €41.09

-9.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 $80.2

$99.7 €88.7

-19.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 $109

$125 €111

-12.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,543 $1,543

$1,589 €1,414

-2.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 $1,096

$1,169 €1,040

-6.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,398 $2,398

$2,851 €2,536

-15.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,839 $1,839

$1,993 €1,773

-7.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,398 $3,398

$7,793 €6,932

-56.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,763 $1,763

$4,418 €3,930

-60.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,995 $3,995

$1,600 €1,423

149.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

3.85

72.47%

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

Last update for Columbus, OH: October 18, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Columbus, OH

$1.1K 44%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1% 6.6% $73

Groceries & Markets

Columbus, OH

$431 17.3%

Lisbon

$273 12.4% 36.7% $158

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Columbus, OH

$356 14.3%

Lisbon

$215 9.8% 39.5% $140

Eating Out

Columbus, OH

$340 13.6%

Lisbon

$247 11.2% 27.1% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Columbus, OH

$126 5.1%

Lisbon

$168 7.7% 33.8% $43

Getting Around

Columbus, OH

$81 3.2%

Lisbon

$63 2.9% 21.8% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Columbus, OH

$62 2.5%

Lisbon

$65 3% 5.3% $3.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,543 in Columbus, OH versus $1,589 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 150% higher in Columbus, OH, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $78.0 in Columbus, OH versus $62.0 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $431 vs $273 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Columbus, OH

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

07:37 7:37 AM

12:37 12:37 PM

5 h ahead of Columbus, OH

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

905,748

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Columbus, OH Lisbon 6,160 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Columbus, OH
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

Columbus, OH vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Columbus, OH costs about 13% more than Lisbon, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,737 per month in Columbus, OH and $3,302 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,491 in Columbus, OH and $2,202 in Lisbon. That's a gap of about 13%.

Public transport costs about 42% 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 $2,202, than in Columbus, OH at $2,491. In Lisbon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Columbus, OH it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Lisbon costs $2,202 versus $2,491 in Columbus, OH. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Columbus, OH makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.