Cost of Living Comparison Between Denver, CO and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Denver, CO and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,134 in Denver, CO versus $2,291 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,650 in Denver, CO versus $3,322 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,166 in Denver, CO versus $4,354 in Lisbon.

Living in Denver, CO is roughly 37% more expensive than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Denver, CO 135% above, Lisbon 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.16 $20.16

$16.19 €14.15

24.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.1 $85.1

$63.3 €55.3

34.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.13 $12.13

$10.32 €9.02

17.54%

Cappuccino

$5.41 $5.41

$2.83 €2.47

91.17%

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

$3.00 $3.00

$2.29 €2.00

31.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.58 €1.38

39.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.12 $7.12

$3.40 €2.97

109.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.11 $8.11

$4.03 €3.52

101.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.09 €0.95

-1.83%

White Bread (500g)

$4.13 $4.13

$1.75 €1.53

136.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$1.76 €1.54

240.34%

Eggs

$5.53 $5.53

$3.17 €2.77

74.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.34 $14.34

$13.19 €11.53

8.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.84 $12.84

$7.97 €6.96

61.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.40 $17.40

$15.53 €13.57

12.04%

Apples (1kg)

$5.57 $5.57

$2.37 €2.07

135.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.71 €1.49

11.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.13 $5.13

$2.01 €1.75

155.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.34 $5.34

$2.43 €2.12

119.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$1.76 €1.54

59.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.03 €1.78

30.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.92 €1.68

3.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$0.85 €0.74

158.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.27 $10.27

$6.58 €5.75

56.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.86 $19.86

$5.58 €4.87

255.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 $2.40

$1.33 €1.16

80.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 $3.68

$2.97 €2.60

23.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 $2.94

$2.28 €1.99

28.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.4 $87.4

$45.79 €40.01

90.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.41 $3.41

$4.23 €3.69

-19.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 $1.76

$0.81 €0.71

117.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.36 $24.36

$18.44 €16.11

32.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$2.08 €1.82

-56.25%

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

$31.9K $31.9K

$34.7K €30.3K

-7.89%

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

$27.3K $27.3K

$39.2K €34.2K

-30.22%

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

$173 $173

$148 €129

17.11%

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

$72.8 $72.8

$20.46 €17.88

255.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.0 $67.0

$39.56 €34.56

69.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.9 $61.9

$47.99 €41.93

28.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.82 $37.82

$18.60 €16.25

103.33%

Cinema Ticket

$15.24 $15.24

$9.22 €8.06

65.29%

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

$1,574 $1,574

$616 €538

155.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K $16.2K

$16.4K €14.4K

-1.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 $59.5

$103 €89.7

-42.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.25 $46.25

$41.74 €36.47

10.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.3 $96.3

$94.8 €82.8

1.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$122 €107

-0.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,142 $2,142

$1,633 €1,426

31.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,714 $1,714

$1,232 €1,077

39.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,536 $3,536

$3,098 €2,707

14.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,020 $3,020

$2,031 €1,775

48.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,642 $5,642

$7,831 €6,842

-27.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,705 $3,705

$4,389 €3,835

-15.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,486 $4,486

$1,607 €1,404

179.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.37

3.81

67.19%

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

Last update for Denver, CO: July 13, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,142 in Denver, CO and $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Denver, CO pays 179% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85.0 in Denver, CO vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $451 vs $267 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

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

Denver, CO vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon wins on cost – living expenses run 37% lower than in Denver, CO. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lisbon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 179% higher in Denver, CO, 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: $2,142 in Denver, CO versus $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 69% higher in Denver, CO. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Lisbon – a meal for two runs $63.0 versus $85.0 in Denver, CO. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Lisbon is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lisbon delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,291 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lisbon hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Denver, CO 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.

Expats usually find Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Denver, CO. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.