Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Cali Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Cali

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $744 in Cali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,224 in Cali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,704 in Cali.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 197% more expensive than Cali, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Cali is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$3.65 COP 13.0K

335.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$29.25 COP 104.5K

121.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$7.36 COP 26.3K

42.80%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$1.61 COP 5,754

78.26%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.94 COP 3,353

138.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.55 COP 1,979

172.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$1.06 COP 3,775

229.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$2.56 COP 9,130

51.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.22 COP 4,347

-6.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.53 COP 5,465

14.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.21 COP 4,319

45.45%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.46 COP 8,779

30.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$4.29 COP 15.3K

214.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$5.47 COP 19.5K

44.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$7.60 COP 27.1K

108.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.40 COP 8,570

-3.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$0.97 COP 3,474

75.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.20 COP 4,274

67.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.27 COP 4,548

93.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$0.88 COP 3,148

109.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.11 COP 3,949

80.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.75 COP 2,679

157.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.65 COP 2,323

21.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$2.90 COP 10.3K

127.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$11.48 COP 41.0K

-50.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.10 COP 3,932

24.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.84 COP 6,584

61.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.67 COP 2,407

253.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$20.20 COP 72.1K

125.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$1.54 COP 5,485

178.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.88 COP 6,707

-56.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$9.80 COP 35.0K

86.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.93 COP 3,304

121.51%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$21.4K COP 76.4M

60.28%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$30.3K COP 108.3M

29.56%

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

$148 €127

$80.9 COP 289.0K

82.69%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$8.78 COP 31.4K

133.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$23.99 COP 85.7K

65.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$19.60 COP 70.0K

144.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$14.79 COP 52.8K

27.92%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$4.87 COP 17.4K

88.50%

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

$614 €528

$226 COP 807.0K

171.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$6,039 COP 21.6M

165.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$63.7 COP 227.5K

64.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$44.16 COP 157.7K

-4.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$78.6 COP 280.5K

19.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$89.5 COP 319.6K

33.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$234 COP 834.7K

596.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$186 COP 665.2K

573.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$609 COP 2.2M

397.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$408 COP 1.5M

395.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$1,101 COP 3.9M

608.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$890 COP 3.2M

380.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$494 COP 1.8M

224.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

11.58

-67.10%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Cali: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $234 in Cali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 224% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $29.00 in Cali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $182 per month, with Cali 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

Lisbon vs Cali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cali is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 197% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Lisbon pays 224% more on average, 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $234 in Cali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $226 in Cali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 48% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $744 in Cali versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cali but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Cali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cali is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lisbon, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Cali 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 Cali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 197% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.