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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,291 per month in Lisbon vs $2,244 in Colchester, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,322 per month in Lisbon vs $3,408 in Colchester, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,354 per month in Lisbon vs $4,571 in Colchester, rent included.

Lisbon costs about 2% more than Colchester, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Lisbon and Colchester sit above the global median – Lisbon by 71%, Colchester by 68%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$20.09 £14.95

-19.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$94.4 £70.3

-32.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$10.83 £8.07

-4.71%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$4.78 £3.56

-40.79%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$1.52 £1.13

50.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$1.05 £0.78

50.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$6.82 £5.08

-50.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$6.21 £4.62

-35.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$1.63 £1.21

-33.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.34 £1.00

30.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.67 £1.24

5.39%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$3.65 £2.72

-13.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$8.47 £6.31

55.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$8.15 £6.07

-2.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$13.15 £9.79

18.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$3.02 £2.25

-21.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.26 £0.94

35.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$3.01 £2.24

-33.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$2.64 £1.97

-7.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.25 £0.93

40.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.44 £1.07

40.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.31 £0.97

46.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.14 £0.85

-25.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$18.33 £13.65

-64.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$10.84 £8.07

-48.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$2.67 £1.99

-50.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.45 £1.82

21.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$3.46 £2.58

-34.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$78.4 £58.4

-41.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$5.98 £4.45

-29.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$1.49 £1.11

-45.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$24.28 £18.08

-24.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.96 £1.46

6.12%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$38.2K £28.5K

-9.33%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$41.5K £30.9K

-5.66%

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

$148 €130

$248 £185

-40.28%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$14.36 £10.69

42.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$34.30 £25.54

15.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$42.26 £31.46

13.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

$10.69 £7.96

73.99%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$18.88 £14.06

-51.17%

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

$616 €540

$1,357 £1,010

-54.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$23.0K £17.1K

-28.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$72.1 £53.7

42.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$31.76 £23.64

31.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$89.4 £66.6

5.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$101 £75.0

21.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$1,143 £851

42.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$1,023 £761

20.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$1,647 £1,226

88.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$1,796 £1,337

13.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$5,273 £3,926

48.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$3,600 £2,680

21.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$2,871 £2,138

-44.02%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Colchester: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,633 in Lisbon versus $1,143 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 79% higher in Colchester, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63.0 in Lisbon versus $94.0 in Colchester. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $267 vs $270 – 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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon, $2,244 in Colchester – roughly 2% apart. Lisbon costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,437 per month in Lisbon and $3,366 in Colchester. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Colchester, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 71% less in Colchester. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $616 per month in Lisbon and $1,357 in Colchester. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Colchester, where all-in costs run around $2,244, than in Lisbon at $2,291. In Colchester it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon 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 $2,244 in Colchester to $2,291 in Lisbon. 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 Colchester. 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.