Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Bocastown, Isla Colon

For one person, living is cheaper in Bocastown, Isla Colon: $1,205 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Bocastown, Isla Colon

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,205

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Bocastown, Isla Colon

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Bocastown, Isla Colon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,223 per month in Lisbon vs $1,205 in Bocastown, Isla Colon, rent included.

Lisbon $2,223
Bocastown, Isla Colon $1,205

A couple spends around $3,271 per month in Lisbon vs $2,060 in Bocastown, Isla Colon, rent included.

Lisbon $3,271
Bocastown, Isla Colon $2,060

A family of three spends $4,319 per month in Lisbon vs $2,915 in Bocastown, Isla Colon, rent included.

Lisbon $4,319
Bocastown, Isla Colon $2,915

Lisbon costs about 84% more than Bocastown, Isla Colon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Lisbon sits 65% above the global median, while Bocastown, Isla Colon is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.50 €14.67

$5.44 PAB 5.44

203.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 €54.5

$44.68 PAB 44.68

37.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.27 €10.03

$13.19 PAB 13.19

-14.56%

Cappuccino

$3.06 €2.72

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

$2.26 €2.01

$1.01 PAB 1.01

123.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.54

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 €3.02

$2.48 PAB 2.48

36.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 €3.02

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 €1.00

$2.08 PAB 2.08

-46.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.65

$3.11 PAB 3.11

-40.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 €1.36

$2.45 PAB 2.45

-37.55%

Eggs

$3.96 €3.53

$2.79 PAB 2.79

41.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.76 €11.35

$15.77 PAB 15.77

-19.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.02

$9.00 PAB 9.00

-12.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.97 €15.09

$8.40 PAB 8.40

102.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 €2.02

$3.84 PAB 3.84

-40.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

$1.45 PAB 1.45

20.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

Tomato (1kg)

$2.57 €2.28

$5.34 PAB 5.34

-51.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.65

$2.14 PAB 2.14

-13.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 €1.80

$1.61 PAB 1.61

25.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.28

$2.52 PAB 2.52

-42.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.73

$1.72 PAB 1.72

-52.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.56 €5.83

$4.61 PAB 4.61

42.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.62 €5.00

$9.09 PAB 9.09

-38.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 €1.14

$1.78 PAB 1.78

-28.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 €1.84

$2.56 PAB 2.56

-19.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 €2.09

$1.02 PAB 1.02

130.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.18 €39.30

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 €3.55

$0.98 PAB 0.98

307.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 €0.97

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.64 €14.81

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.03

$1.33 PAB 1.33

71.43%

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

$33.7K €30.0K

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

$39.3K €35.0K

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

$167 €149

$87.7 PAB 87.7

90.94%

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

$18.80 €16.72

$25.71 PAB 25.71

-26.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.09 €29.43

$50.5 PAB 50.5

-34.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.01 €40.93

$35.08 PAB 35.08

31.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.19 €17.07

Cinema Ticket

$9.84 €8.75

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

$677 €602

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K €15.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €90.1

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 €40.70

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100.0 €88.9

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €109

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 €1,436

$744 PAB 744

116.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 €1,065

$584 PAB 584

104.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,862 €2,545

$1,216 PAB 1,216

135.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,990 €1,770

$1,506 PAB 1,506

32.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,577 €6,740

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,307 €3,831

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,588 €1,412

$675 PAB 675

135.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Last update for Bocastown, Isla Colon: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9%

Bocastown, Isla Colon

–

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$269 12.1%

Bocastown, Isla Colon

–

Eating Out

Lisbon

$242 10.9%

Bocastown, Isla Colon

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$219 9.9%

Bocastown, Isla Colon

–

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Bocastown, Isla Colon

–

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$66 3%

Bocastown, Isla Colon

–

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.8%

Bocastown, Isla Colon

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,614 in Lisbon versus $744 in Bocastown, Isla Colon. 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 135% higher in Lisbon, 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 $61.0 in Lisbon versus $45.00 in Bocastown, Isla Colon. Groceries tell a different story – $269 in Lisbon vs $318 in Bocastown, Isla Colon – so Lisbon wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇵🇦 Bocastown, Isla Colon

🕒 Local time

04:25 4:25 AM

22:25 10:25 PM

6 h behind Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

5,380

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Lisbon Bocastown, Isla Colon 7,900 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Bocastown, Isla Colon

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

Lisbon vs Bocastown, Isla Colon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon costs about 84% more than Bocastown, Isla Colon, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,335 per month in Lisbon and $1,808 in Bocastown, Isla Colon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bocastown, Isla Colon, 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 $2,223 in Lisbon and $1,205 in Bocastown, Isla Colon. That's a gap of about 84%.

Interestingly, groceries are about 18% cheaper in Lisbon – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Bocastown, Isla Colon, where all-in costs run around $1,205, than in Lisbon at $2,223. In Bocastown, Isla Colon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bocastown, Isla Colon costs $1,205 versus $2,223 in Lisbon. 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 Bocastown, Isla Colon. 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.