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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,252 per month in Denver vs $2,217 in Lisbon, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,304 per month in Denver vs $3,245 in Lisbon, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,355 per month in Denver vs $4,272 in Lisbon, rent included.

Denver costs about 2% more than Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Denver and Lisbon sit above the global median – Denver by 69%, Lisbon by 66%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.98 A$22.61

$15.78 €13.59

1.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.9 A$112

$62.5 €53.8

26.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.98 A$14.11

$10.54 €9.07

-5.31%

Cappuccino

$3.40 A$4.81

$2.77 €2.38

22.74%

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

$2.50 A$3.54

$2.28 €1.97

9.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 A$3.12

$1.55 €1.33

42.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.66 A$9.43

$3.55 €3.05

87.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.99 A$9.88

$3.98 €3.43

75.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 A$2.02

$1.08 €0.93

32.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.35 A$3.32

$1.77 €1.52

32.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 A$2.77

$1.77 €1.52

10.73%

Eggs

$4.45 A$6.30

$3.12 €2.69

42.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.68 A$12.28

$13.34 €11.49

-34.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 A$11.93

$7.99 €6.88

5.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.57 A$19.20

$15.92 €13.70

-14.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 A$4.71

$2.28 €1.97

46.05%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 A$3.88

$1.64 €1.42

67.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.97 A$4.20

$1.98 €1.70

50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.08 A$5.78

$2.45 €2.11

66.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.40 A$3.40

$1.77 €1.52

35.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 A$3.07

$1.97 €1.69

10.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.17 A$3.08

$1.97 €1.70

10.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 A$2.21

$0.80 €0.69

96.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.42 A$43.04

$6.54 €5.63

365.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.78 A$18.08

$5.75 €4.95

122.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.47 A$6.33

$1.32 €1.13

238.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.26 A$7.44

$2.99 €2.57

75.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 A$3.61

$2.34 €2.01

8.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.8 A$90.2

$45.85 €39.48

39.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.68 A$5.20

$4.26 €3.66

-13.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 A$2.26

$0.84 €0.73

90.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.77 A$47.78

$18.86 €16.24

79.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 A$1.66

$2.07 €1.78

-43.00%

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

$28.9K A$40.9K

$35.2K €30.3K

-17.93%

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

$22.3K A$31.5K

$38.6K €33.2K

-42.32%

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

$181 A$256

$151 €130

19.76%

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

$27.69 A$39.17

$20.91 €18.00

32.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.7 A$74.6

$39.54 €34.05

33.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.63 A$70.2

$48.39 €41.67

2.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.82 A$22.39

$18.61 €16.02

-14.99%

Cinema Ticket

$12.99 A$18.37

$9.04 €7.79

43.69%

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

$1,614 A$2,284

$610 €525

164.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K A$16.8K

$16.3K €14.0K

-27.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.1 A$97.8

$101 €87.2

-31.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.9 A$72.0

$40.58 €34.94

25.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 A$142

$93.0 €80.1

8.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 A$152

$119 €102

-9.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 A$1,799

$1,603 €1,380

-20.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,046 A$1,480

$1,239 €1,067

-15.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,051 A$2,901

$3,019 €2,599

-32.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,705 A$2,412

$2,061 €1,775

-17.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,685 A$9,458

$7,981 €6,872

-16.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,333 A$7,545

$4,533 €3,903

17.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,628 €1,402

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.34

3.81

66.40%

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

Last update for Denver: June 14, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,272 in Denver versus $1,603 in Lisbon. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79.0 in Denver versus $62.0 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $335 vs $268 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,252 in Denver, $2,217 in Lisbon – roughly 2% apart. Denver costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,378 per month in Denver and $3,325 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.

Public transport costs about 39% less in Lisbon. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,614 per month in Denver and $610 in Lisbon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Lisbon, where all-in costs run around $2,217, than in Denver at $2,252. In Lisbon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Denver 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 $2,217 in Lisbon to $2,252 in Denver. 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, Denver makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.