Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,031 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,599 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $2,167 in Medellin.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 122% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Medellin is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.20

$6.16 COP 19.8K

162.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$32.60 COP 104.8K

94.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.05

$7.34 COP 23.6K

40.60%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$1.72 COP 5,527

64.53%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$1.05 COP 3,376

118.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.77 COP 2,482

105.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$1.69 COP 5,417

101.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$3.17 COP 10.2K

27.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$1.05 COP 3,379

3.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.30 COP 4,181

34.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.40 COP 4,485

25.71%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.78

$2.16 COP 6,956

46.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.57

$4.39 COP 14.1K

200.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.99

$5.88 COP 18.9K

35.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.62

$8.64 COP 27.8K

79.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.08

$2.28 COP 7,330

3.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.50

$1.11 COP 3,557

54.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.53 COP 4,918

31.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$1.35 COP 4,353

80.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.13 COP 3,627

55.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.13 COP 3,644

79.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.85 COP 2,717

125.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.91 COP 2,937

-6.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.77

$2.34 COP 7,531

181.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$12.37 COP 39.7K

-54.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.20 COP 3,859

10.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.61

$2.49 COP 8,000

19.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €2.00

$0.84 COP 2,692

171.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.15

$40.57 COP 130.4K

12.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.71

$1.42 COP 4,563

197.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$1.92 COP 6,155

-57.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.17

$7.66 COP 24.6K

140.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$0.99 COP 3,181

110.10%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$18.0K COP 57.9M

92.29%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$26.6K COP 85.6M

47.06%

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

$148 €130

$80.8 COP 259.7K

83.21%

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

$20.46 €17.94

$9.95 COP 32.0K

105.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.68

$24.18 COP 77.7K

63.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.08

$25.08 COP 80.6K

91.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.31

$19.15 COP 61.5K

-2.87%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.09

$3.98 COP 12.8K

131.66%

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

$616 €540

$305 COP 980.7K

101.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$6,059 COP 19.5M

171.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.1

$58.1 COP 186.8K

76.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.60

$32.20 COP 103.5K

29.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.1

$101 COP 323.7K

-5.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$108 COP 346.3K

13.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,431

$477 COP 1.5M

242.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,081

$376 COP 1.2M

227.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,717

$845 COP 2.7M

266.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,781

$730 COP 2.3M

178.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,866

$3,215 COP 10.3M

143.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,849

$1,372 COP 4.4M

219.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,409

$617 COP 2.0M

160.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

13.43

-71.63%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $477 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 161% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $193 per month, with Medellin 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 Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Medellin differ by about 122% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,031 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 161% higher in Lisbon, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $477 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $305 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,031 in Medellin versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Medellin 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 Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 122% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.