Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Denver

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,210 a month against $2,433 in Denver, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Lisbon, Portugal
Denver, Australia
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Denver
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,433
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Denver

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Denver actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,210 per month in Lisbon vs $2,433 in Denver, rent included.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • Denver $2,433

A couple spends around $3,275 per month in Lisbon vs $3,666 in Denver, rent included.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • Denver $3,666

A family of three spends $4,341 per month in Lisbon vs $4,899 in Denver, rent included.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • Denver $4,899

Lisbon is about 9% cheaper than Denver, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Lisbon and Denver sit above the global median – Lisbon by 62%, Denver by 79%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Denver
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.87
$15.29 A$21.83
8.89%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.2
$82.3 A$117
-24.94%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.14
$10.81 A$15.44
5.09%
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.65
$3.62 A$5.17
-17.96%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.04
$2.76 A$3.93
-17.03%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.56
$2.45 A$3.50
-28.98%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.04
$8.34 A$11.91
-59.23%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.96
$7.17 A$10.24
-53.84%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Denver
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.03
$1.63 A$2.33
-28.83%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.71
$2.71 A$3.88
-29.52%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.35
$2.51 A$3.58
-39.84%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.59
$5.38 A$7.68
-25.28%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.56
$8.54 A$12.20
51.52%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.94
$8.64 A$12.33
-10.07%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.86
$14.43 A$20.61
23.08%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.06
$3.31 A$4.73
-30.51%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.55
$2.93 A$4.19
-40.96%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.66
$2.80 A$4.00
-33.57%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.31
$5.21 A$7.44
-50.29%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.63
$2.52 A$3.60
-27.78%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$2.22 A$3.17
-11.26%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.31
$2.48 A$3.55
-40.73%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$1.75 A$2.49
-58.86%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.88
$46.36 A$66.2
-85.81%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.01
$12.82 A$18.31
-56.24%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$4.68 A$6.68
-70.94%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.91
$5.25 A$7.49
-59.24%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Denver
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 €2.08
$2.94 A$4.20
-20.75%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.68 €39.91
$78.2 A$112
-42.86%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.85 €3.44
$3.16 A$4.51
21.84%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.96
$1.41 A$2.02
-24.11%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.70
$43.23 A$61.7
-61.92%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.97
$1.28 A$1.82
71.88%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.5K
$27.1K A$38.7K
26.18%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.6K
$24.8K A$35.4K
56.25%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Denver
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €144
$198 A$283
-18.54%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.44
$25.50 A$36.42
-27.80%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.24
$52.3 A$74.7
-37.45%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Denver
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €39.79
$51.9 A$74.0
-14.08%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.06
$19.82 A$28.30
-3.63%
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.57
$15.49 A$22.12
-38.02%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Denver
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €596
$1,868 A$2,668
-64.25%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.7K
$23.2K A$33.2K
-24.21%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Denver
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.1
$84.9 A$121
20.18%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.72
$60.4 A$86.3
-26.42%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €88.0
$119 A$170
-17.36%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €110
$112 A$159
10.75%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Denver
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 €1,437
$1,312 A$1,874
22.56%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,063
$1,169 A$1,669
1.83%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,812 €2,512
$2,082 A$2,974
35.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,013 €1,798
$2,058 A$2,938
-2.16%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,839 €7,002
$6,557 A$9,364
19.56%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,576 €4,087
$4,330 A$6,184
5.67%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Denver
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,407
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
5.9
-34.75%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Denver: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Denver
$1.2K 1.8% $21
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
Denver
$361 32.5% $89
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
Denver
$275 13.4% $32
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
Denver
$276 29.9% $63
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Denver
$169 2% $3.4
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Denver
$83 29.9% $19
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Denver
$100 58.5% $37

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,608 in Lisbon versus $1,312 in Denver. 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 $62 in Lisbon versus $82 in Denver. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $272 vs $361 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇦🇺 Denver
🕒 Local time
09:44 9:44 AM
20:44 8:44 PM
11 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
149
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 0.893 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.7 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.625 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Denver 17,690 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Denver

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Denver: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Lisbon and in Denver compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon, $2,433 in Denver – Lisbon comes out roughly 9% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Lisbon compared to Denver?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,315 per month in Lisbon and $3,649 in Denver. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Lisbon and Denver?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Denver, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,312 there versus $1,608 in Lisbon.
How do commuting costs compare in Lisbon and in Denver?
Public transport costs about 43% less in Lisbon. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Lisbon and Denver?
Kindergarten costs $668 per month in Lisbon and $1,868 in Denver. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
How far does $3,000 go in Lisbon compared to Denver?
$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,210 in Lisbon and $2,433 in Denver, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Denver?
It depends on your priorities. Lisbon has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,210 in Lisbon to $2,433 in Denver. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Lisbon or Denver safer for residents?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

Lisbon vs other spots: cost of living compared

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