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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,278 per month in Denver vs $2,280 in Lisbon, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,284 per month in Denver vs $3,294 in Lisbon, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,289 per month in Denver vs $4,307 in Lisbon, rent included.

Denver and Lisbon have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Denver and Lisbon sit above the global median – Denver by 71%, Lisbon by 71%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.28 A$23.11

$15.75 €13.64

3.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.1 A$111

$63.5 €55.0

23.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.69 A$13.75

$10.45 €9.05

-7.27%

Cappuccino

$3.45 A$4.89

$2.91 €2.52

18.56%

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

$2.50 A$3.54

$2.29 €1.98

9.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 A$3.02

$1.50 €1.30

42.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.64 A$9.42

$3.56 €3.09

86.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.24 A$10.27

$3.96 €3.43

82.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.05

$1.08 €0.94

34.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.41 A$3.42

$1.76 €1.53

36.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.95 A$2.77

$1.70 €1.47

14.71%

Eggs

$4.26 A$6.04

$3.25 €2.81

31.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.54 A$12.11

$13.25 €11.47

-35.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.18 A$11.60

$7.70 €6.67

6.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.62 A$19.33

$15.77 €13.66

-13.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 A$4.50

$2.28 €1.97

39.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.77 A$3.93

$1.66 €1.43

66.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.01 A$4.27

$2.02 €1.75

49.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.05 A$5.75

$2.47 €2.14

63.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.41 A$3.42

$1.79 €1.55

34.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 A$3.09

$2.07 €1.79

4.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 A$3.06

$1.97 €1.71

9.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 A$2.14

$0.83 €0.72

81.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.92 A$43.87

$6.55 €5.68

372.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.45 A$17.66

$5.57 €4.82

123.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.47 A$6.35

$1.33 €1.15

236.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.41 A$7.68

$3.01 €2.60

79.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.58 A$3.66

$2.27 €1.97

13.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.1 A$92.4

$46.35 €40.14

40.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 A$5.04

$4.23 €3.66

-16.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 A$2.28

$0.85 €0.73

88.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.63 A$47.72

$18.83 €16.31

78.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 A$1.68

$2.02 €1.75

-41.09%

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

$29.0K A$41.1K

$35.0K €30.3K

-17.07%

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

$22.3K A$31.7K

$39.6K €34.3K

-43.65%

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

$180 A$256

$148 €128

21.80%

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

$26.97 A$38.26

$20.52 €17.77

31.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.7 A$73.3

$39.52 €34.23

30.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.21 A$69.8

$48.17 €41.72

2.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.47 A$21.95

$18.39 €15.92

-15.88%

Cinema Ticket

$12.89 A$18.29

$9.10 €7.88

41.65%

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

$1,601 A$2,272

$615 €532

160.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K A$16.9K

$16.3K €14.1K

-26.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.1 A$98.0

$102 €88.0

-32.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.9 A$72.3

$42.09 €36.45

20.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.7 A$139

$92.3 €79.9

5.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 A$151

$122 €106

-12.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 A$1,780

$1,612 €1,396

-22.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,051 A$1,491

$1,254 €1,086

-16.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 A$2,857

$3,069 €2,658

-34.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,685 A$2,391

$2,037 €1,764

-17.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,211 A$8,812

$7,751 €6,712

-19.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,245 A$7,442

$4,286 €3,712

22.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,387

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: July 26, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,254 in Denver versus $1,612 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 $78.0 in Denver versus $63.0 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $332 vs $267 – 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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,417 per month in Denver and $3,420 in Lisbon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Denver, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $78.0 in Denver and $63.0 in Lisbon. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 40% less in Denver. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Denver, where all-in costs run around $2,278, than in Lisbon at $2,280. In Denver it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon 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 $2,278 in Denver to $2,280 in Lisbon. 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 Denver. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lisbon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.