Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Cartago Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Cartago

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,316 per month in Lisbon vs $1,232 in Cartago, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,361 per month in Lisbon vs $1,965 in Cartago, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,405 per month in Lisbon vs $2,699 in Cartago, rent included.

Lisbon costs about 88% more than Cartago, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Lisbon sits 69% above the global median, while Cartago is 10% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.87

$7.66 COP 24.1K

125.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$38.34 COP 120.5K

65.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.79

$8.62 COP 27.1K

32.13%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.74

$1.61 COP 5,068

98.14%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$1.30 COP 4,095

88.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.87 COP 2,724

102.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$3.12 COP 9,820

15.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$3.86 COP 12.1K

-12.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.63 COP 5,121

-23.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$2.00 COP 6,272

-1.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.49 COP 4,689

2.01%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.47

$2.89 COP 9,089

39.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.64

$6.44 COP 20.3K

110.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.21

$6.93 COP 21.8K

21.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.69

$10.09 COP 31.7K

80.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$3.54 COP 11.1K

-35.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.35 COP 4,248

28.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.81 COP 5,703

2.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$1.66 COP 5,231

58.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.44 COP 4,514

33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$1.58 COP 4,968

32.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.14 COP 3,586

26.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$1.01 COP 3,186

-16.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$3.70 COP 11.6K

83.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$12.96 COP 40.7K

-55.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.51 COP 4,742

-8.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$2.54 COP 7,999

-12.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$1.19 COP 3,731

101.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.22

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$0.86 COP 2,688

384.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.87 COP 5,876

-39.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.20

$8.03 COP 25.2K

120.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.33 COP 4,191

74.44%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$23.6K COP 74.1M

49.89%

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

$41.4K €35.6K

$35.9K COP 112.8M

15.50%

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

$170 €146

$113 COP 356.4K

50.22%

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

$19.34 €16.62

$13.29 COP 41.8K

45.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.92

$31.50 COP 99.0K

6.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.35

$35.54 COP 111.7K

35.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.11

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.53

$8.49 COP 26.7K

16.84%

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

$717 €617

$658 COP 2.1M

9.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$6,616 COP 20.8M

164.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$78.7 COP 247.3K

33.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.36

$55.1 COP 173.3K

-14.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €88.9

$126 COP 395.7K

-17.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$109 COP 343.5K

13.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,441

$646 COP 2.0M

159.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,093

$502 COP 1.6M

153.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,566

$1,123 COP 3.5M

165.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,713

$1,010 COP 3.2M

97.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,728

$1,687 COP 5.3M

364.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,004

$1,900 COP 6.0M

145.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,361

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

11.58

-67.27%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Cartago: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,677 in Lisbon versus $646 in Cartago. 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 $63.0 in Lisbon versus $38.00 in Cartago. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $283 vs $242 – making Cartago 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

Lisbon vs Cartago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Lisbon is pricier by about 88%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,474 per month in Lisbon and $1,847 in Cartago. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cartago, 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 $2,316 in Lisbon and $1,232 in Cartago. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $717 per month in Lisbon and $658 in Cartago. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cartago, where all-in costs run around $1,232, than in Lisbon at $2,316. In Cartago it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cartago – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Cartago. 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.