Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Colchester Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Colchester

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,210 per month in Lisbon vs $2,218 in Colchester, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,311 per month in Lisbon vs $3,371 in Colchester, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,411 per month in Lisbon vs $4,524 in Colchester, rent included.

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

Both Lisbon and Colchester sit above the global median – Lisbon by 65%, Colchester by 66%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$20.60 £15.35

-22.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$96.2 £71.7

-32.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$10.81 £8.05

-2.78%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$4.73 £3.52

-39.32%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$1.57 £1.17

42.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.08 £0.81

38.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$6.72 £5.01

-48.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$6.16 £4.59

-37.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.57 £1.17

-27.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.27 £0.95

37.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.73 £1.29

1.73%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$3.73 £2.78

-13.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$8.46 £6.30

59.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$8.41 £6.27

-5.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$13.06 £9.73

21.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.88 £2.15

-19.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.27 £0.94

33.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.96 £2.21

-32.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.58 £1.92

-4.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.29 £0.96

42.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.45 £1.08

37.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.25 £0.93

54.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$1.15 £0.86

-31.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$18.71 £13.94

-64.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$10.99 £8.19

-47.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$2.58 £1.92

-46.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.43 £1.81

22.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$3.36 £2.50

-29.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.22

$77.6 £57.8

-41.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$6.13 £4.56

-30.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.49 £1.11

-44.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$24.13 £17.98

-24.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.91 £1.42

7.85%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$38.2K £28.5K

-10.35%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$41.4K £30.8K

-5.08%

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

$148 €127

$248 £185

-40.37%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$14.51 £10.81

41.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.10

$35.09 £26.14

12.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.19

$42.01 £31.30

13.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$10.73 £7.99

76.33%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$18.85 £14.04

-51.30%

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

$614 €529

$1,337 £996

-54.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$23.1K £17.2K

-30.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$73.0 £54.4

43.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.21

$31.61 £23.55

33.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$89.4 £66.6

5.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$102 £75.8

17.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,401

$1,126 £839

44.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$1,019 £759

23.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$1,664 £1,240

82.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,739

$1,786 £1,331

13.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,715

$5,179 £3,858

50.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,678

$3,687 £2,747

15.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,380

$3,153 £2,349

-49.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

5.45

-30.09%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Colchester: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,628 in Lisbon versus $1,126 in Colchester. 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 97% higher in Colchester. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65.0 in Lisbon versus $96.0 in Colchester. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $269 vs $269 – 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

Lisbon vs Colchester: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,315 per month in Lisbon and $3,327 in Colchester. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lisbon, 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 $65.0 in Lisbon and $96.0 in Colchester. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 70% less in Lisbon. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Lisbon, where all-in costs run around $2,210, than in Colchester at $2,218. In Lisbon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Colchester 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 $2,210 in Lisbon to $2,218 in Colchester. 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 Lisbon. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Colchester makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.