Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Colonia Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Colonia

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $1,534 in Colonia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $2,468 in Colonia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $3,402 in Colonia.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 51% more expensive than in Colonia, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 69% above, Colonia 12% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.93

$16.09 UYU 647

7.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.6

$74.1 UYU 2,983

-14.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.83

$12.65 UYU 509

-9.96%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.75

$6.02 UYU 242

-47.01%

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

$2.45 €2.11

$1.87 UYU 75.4

31.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$1.40 UYU 56.3

25.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.10

$5.10 UYU 205

-29.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.93

$4.84 UYU 195

-29.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.14 UYU 45.75

8.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$2.17 UYU 87.2

-8.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.25 UYU 50.4

21.60%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.49

$3.46 UYU 139

16.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.68

$10.03 UYU 404

35.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.24

$12.44 UYU 501

-32.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.75

$11.28 UYU 454

61.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$2.28 UYU 91.7

0.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.85 UYU 74.4

-5.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.22 UYU 49.18

52.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.27

$5.68 UYU 229

-53.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.95 UYU 78.5

-1.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$1.96 UYU 78.7

6.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.22 UYU 49.09

18.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.21 UYU 48.88

-30.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.85

$7.53 UYU 303

-9.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.93

$12.47 UYU 502

-54.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$4.36 UYU 175

-68.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$2.54 UYU 102

-12.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.07

$1.04 UYU 41.75

130.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.37

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.60

$0.91 UYU 36.81

358.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$2.43 UYU 97.7

-53.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.26

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.01

$1.93 UYU 77.7

20.21%

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

$35.3K €30.5K

$31.4K UYU 1.3M

12.69%

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

$41.4K €35.8K

$40.1K UYU 1.6M

3.47%

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

$170 €147

$125 UYU 5,042

35.93%

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

$19.34 €16.69

$18.93 UYU 762

2.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €29.03

$39.13 UYU 1,575

-14.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.50

$41.22 UYU 1,659

16.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.17

$12.58 UYU 506

58.19%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.56

$7.73 UYU 311

28.33%

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

$717 €619

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.4

$57.2 UYU 2,300

83.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.51

$50.5 UYU 2,033

-7.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.2

$113 UYU 4,534

-8.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$197 UYU 7,933

-37.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,447

$603 UYU 24.3K

178.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,097

$466 UYU 18.8K

172.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,575

$1,132 UYU 45.6K

163.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,719

$988 UYU 39.7K

101.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,753

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,019

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,366

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

4.5

-15.78%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Colonia: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $603 in Colonia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $74.0 in Colonia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $315 per month, with Lisbon 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 Colonia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Colonia wins on cost – living expenses run 51% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Colonia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,474 in Lisbon and $2,301 in Colonia to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $603 in Colonia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,316 per month in Lisbon versus $1,534 in Colonia – a 51% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,534 in Colonia versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Colonia but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Colonia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Colonia delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,534 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Colonia hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Colonia 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 Colonia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.