Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Denver, CO and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,223 a month against $3,212 in Denver, CO, rent and utilities included – about $11,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

155

Cost of Living Index in Denver, CO
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Denver, CO Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Denver, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$3,212

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,212 in Denver, CO versus $2,223 in Lisbon.

Denver, CO $3,212
Lisbon $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,651 in Denver, CO versus $3,271 in Lisbon.

Denver, CO $4,651
Lisbon $3,271

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,090 in Denver, CO versus $4,319 in Lisbon.

Denver, CO $6,090
Lisbon $4,319

Living in Denver, CO is roughly 44% more expensive than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Denver, CO 138% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$16.50 €14.67

22.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.2 $85.2

$61.3 €54.5

39.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.74 $11.74

$11.27 €10.03

4.17%

Cappuccino

$5.80 $5.80

$3.06 €2.72

89.54%

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

$2.86 $2.86

$2.26 €2.01

26.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$1.73 €1.54

32.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.14 $7.14

$3.39 €3.02

110.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.12 $8.12

$3.40 €3.02

138.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.12 €1.00

0.89%

White Bread (500g)

$5.47 $5.47

$1.86 €1.65

194.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.12 $7.12

$1.53 €1.36

365.36%

Eggs

$5.03 $5.03

$3.96 €3.53

27.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.62 $16.62

$12.76 €11.35

30.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.95 $16.95

$7.90 €7.02

114.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.44 $18.44

$16.97 €15.09

8.66%

Apples (1kg)

$5.10 $5.10

$2.27 €2.02

124.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.75 €1.55

20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$1.85 €1.64

154.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.32 $5.32

$2.57 €2.28

107.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.86 €1.65

38.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.74 $2.74

$2.02 €1.80

35.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.44 €1.28

65.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 $2.52

$0.82 €0.73

207.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.66 $10.66

$6.56 €5.83

62.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.83 $18.83

$5.62 €5.00

235.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 $2.74

$1.28 €1.14

114.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 $3.63

$2.07 €1.84

75.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.71 $2.71

$2.35 €2.09

15.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.0 $87.0

$44.18 €39.30

96.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.99 €3.55

-13.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.09 €0.97

57.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.36 $30.36

$16.64 €14.81

82.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$2.28 €2.03

-55.26%

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

$34.8K $34.8K

$33.7K €30.0K

3.45%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$39.3K €35.0K

-34.90%

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

$166 $166

$167 €149

-1.09%

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

$77.1 $77.1

$18.80 €16.72

310.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.3 $70.3

$33.09 €29.43

112.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.6 $60.6

$46.01 €40.93

31.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.84 $24.84

$19.19 €17.07

29.44%

Cinema Ticket

$15.17 $15.17

$9.84 €8.75

54.17%

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

$2,375 $2,375

$677 €602

250.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.6K $33.6K

$16.9K €15.1K

98.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.7 $70.7

$101 €90.1

-30.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.74 $45.74

$45.76 €40.70

-0.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$100.0 €88.9

0.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 $130

$123 €109

5.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,999 $1,999

$1,614 €1,436

23.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,703 $1,703

$1,197 €1,065

42.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,250 $3,250

$2,862 €2,545

13.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,679 $2,679

$1,990 €1,770

34.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,737 $5,737

$7,577 €6,740

-24.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,680 $3,680

$4,307 €3,831

-14.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,540 $4,540

$1,588 €1,412

185.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.9

3.85

79.22%

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

Last update for Denver, CO: October 11, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Denver, CO

$1.7K 53%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9% 29.7% $506

Groceries & Markets

Denver, CO

$500 15.6%

Lisbon

$269 12.1% 46.1% $230

Eating Out

Denver, CO

$339 10.6%

Lisbon

$242 10.9% 28.6% $97

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Denver, CO

$313 9.8%

Lisbon

$219 9.9% 29.9% $94

Clothing & Footwear

Denver, CO

$156 4.9%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 6.5% $10

Getting Around

Denver, CO

$110 3.4%

Lisbon

$63 2.8% 42.7% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Denver, CO

$91 2.8%

Lisbon

$66 3% 27.7% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,999 in Denver, CO and $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Denver, CO pays 186% 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 $61.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $500 vs $269 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Denver, CO

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

01:14 1:14 AM

08:14 8:14 AM

7 h ahead of Denver, CO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

715,522

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

Denver, CO Lisbon 7,810 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Denver, CO
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

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

Lisbon wins on cost – living expenses run 44% 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 186% 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: $1,999 in Denver, CO versus $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 85% 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 $61.0 versus $85.0 in Denver, CO. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,223 in Lisbon versus $3,212 in Denver, CO, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Denver, CO. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lisbon delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,223 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 44% less than in Denver, CO. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.