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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $747 in Cali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,229 in Cali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,710 in Cali.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 207% more expensive than in Cali, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Cali is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.15

$3.65 COP 11.9K

343.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.3

$29.20 COP 94.9K

116.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.02

$7.41 COP 24.1K

39.27%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.47

$1.58 COP 5,130

79.11%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$0.95 COP 3,095

141.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.60 COP 1,940

163.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.97

$1.01 COP 3,297

236.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$2.61 COP 8,484

54.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.24 COP 4,029

-12.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.47 COP 4,770

19.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.25 COP 4,076

40.80%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.48 COP 8,065

27.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.53

$4.33 COP 14.1K

204.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.96

$5.36 COP 17.4K

48.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.57

$7.49 COP 24.4K

107.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$2.49 COP 8,108

-4.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$0.92 COP 2,986

85.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.75

$1.15 COP 3,749

74.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.12

$1.31 COP 4,260

85.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.89 COP 2,881

97.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.11 COP 3,593

82.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.75 COP 2,427

156.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.68 COP 2,211

25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.75

$2.91 COP 9,454

126.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.87

$12.88 COP 41.9K

-56.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.16

$1.07 COP 3,478

24.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$1.86 COP 6,040

59.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.73 COP 2,386

212.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.01

$20.17 COP 65.6K

127.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.69

$1.55 COP 5,043

172.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$1.90 COP 6,171

-57.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.11

$9.45 COP 30.7K

95.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$0.98 COP 3,190

112.24%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$21.9K COP 71.3M

58.08%

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

$39.2K €34.2K

$29.6K COP 96.2M

32.31%

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

$148 €129

$83.3 COP 270.9K

77.69%

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

$20.46 €17.88

$8.94 COP 29.1K

128.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.56

$24.55 COP 79.8K

61.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.93

$19.79 COP 64.3K

142.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.25

$14.72 COP 47.9K

26.36%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.06

$4.88 COP 15.9K

88.93%

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

$616 €538

$222 COP 720.7K

177.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$5,871 COP 19.1M

180.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.7

$64.0 COP 208.1K

60.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.47

$43.51 COP 141.5K

-4.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.8

$76.3 COP 248.1K

24.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$89.5 COP 291.1K

36.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,426

$241 COP 783.0K

577.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,077

$188 COP 611.5K

555.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,707

$615 COP 2.0M

403.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,775

$398 COP 1.3M

410.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,842

$1,258 COP 4.1M

522.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,835

$990 COP 3.2M

343.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,404

$554 COP 1.8M

190.18%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Cali: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $241 in Cali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 190% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $29.00 in Cali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $184 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 207% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 190% higher in Lisbon, 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $241 in Cali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $222 in Cali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 45% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $747 in Cali versus $2,291 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 207% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.