Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Monteria

For one person, living is cheaper in Monteria: $1,227 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $12,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,223
/mo nomad
Monteria
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,227
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Monteria

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 Monteria actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,223 in Lisbon versus $1,227 in Monteria.

  • Lisbon $2,223
  • Monteria $1,227

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,271 in Lisbon versus $1,997 in Monteria.

  • Lisbon $3,271
  • Monteria $1,997

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,319 in Lisbon versus $2,767 in Monteria.

  • Lisbon $4,319
  • Monteria $2,767

Living in Lisbon is roughly 81% more expensive than in Monteria, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Monteria is 9% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Monteria
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.50 €14.67
$5.73 COP 18.2K
187.96%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.3 €54.5
$41.91 COP 132.9K
46.15%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.27 €10.03
$10.31 COP 32.7K
9.31%
Cappuccino
$3.06 €2.72
$2.57 COP 8,152
19.07%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 €2.01
$2.57 COP 8,162
-12.06%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.73 €1.54
$2.27 COP 7,186
-23.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.39 €3.02
$3.29 COP 10.4K
3.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.40 €3.02
$5.16 COP 16.4K
-34.11%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Monteria
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 €1.00
$1.90 COP 6,034
-41.05%
White Bread (500g)
$1.86 €1.65
$2.78 COP 8,829
-33.09%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.53 €1.36
$1.43 COP 4,523
6.99%
Eggs
$3.96 €3.53
$4.83 COP 15.3K
-18.01%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.76 €11.35
$7.98 COP 25.3K
59.90%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.90 €7.02
$9.46 COP 30.0K
-16.49%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.97 €15.09
$13.49 COP 42.8K
25.80%
Apples (1kg)
$2.27 €2.02
$3.16 COP 10.0K
-28.16%
Banana (1kg)
$1.75 €1.55
$1.24 COP 3,939
41.13%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.85 €1.64
$2.07 COP 6,560
-10.63%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.57 €2.28
$1.81 COP 5,733
41.99%
Potato (1kg)
$1.86 €1.65
$1.68 COP 5,315
10.71%
Onion (1kg)
$2.02 €1.80
$1.58 COP 5,004
27.85%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.44 €1.28
$1.22 COP 3,875
18.03%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.82 €0.73
$1.16 COP 3,686
-29.31%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.56 €5.83
$4.07 COP 12.9K
61.18%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.62 €5.00
$14.66 COP 46.5K
-61.66%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.28 €1.14
$1.46 COP 4,616
-12.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.07 €1.84
$2.34 COP 7,419
-11.54%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Monteria
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.35 €2.09
$1.19 COP 3,766
97.48%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.18 €39.30
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.99 €3.55
$1.57 COP 4,990
154.14%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.09 €0.97
$3.68 COP 11.7K
-70.38%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.64 €14.81
$9.57 COP 30.4K
73.88%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.28 €2.03
$1.30 COP 4,119
75.38%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.7K €30.0K
$23.5K COP 74.6M
43.14%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.3K €35.0K
$34.4K COP 109.0M
14.30%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Monteria
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$167 €149
$78.0 COP 247.3K
114.73%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.80 €16.72
$14.49 COP 45.9K
29.74%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.09 €29.43
$25.19 COP 79.9K
31.36%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Monteria
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.01 €40.93
$43.38 COP 137.6K
6.06%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.19 €17.07
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.84 €8.75
$8.24 COP 26.1K
19.42%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Monteria
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$677 €602
$618 COP 2.0M
9.58%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.9K €15.1K
$5,835 COP 18.5M
189.98%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Monteria
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$101 €90.1
$75.5 COP 239.4K
34.09%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.76 €40.70
$55.4 COP 175.6K
-17.40%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$100.0 €88.9
$132 COP 419.2K
-24.37%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$123 €109
$109 COP 344.8K
12.91%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Monteria
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,614 €1,436
$736 COP 2.3M
119.14%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,197 €1,065
$411 COP 1.3M
191.22%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,862 €2,545
$1,022 COP 3.2M
179.88%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,990 €1,770
$913 COP 2.9M
118.10%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,577 €6,740
$2,174 COP 6.9M
248.49%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,307 €3,831
$1,691 COP 5.4M
154.67%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Monteria
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,588 €1,412
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
15
-74.33%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Last update for Monteria: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Monteria
$411 65.7% $786
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$269
Monteria
$293 8.6% $23
Eating Out
Lisbon
$242
Monteria
$154 36.5% $88
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$219
Monteria
$118 46.4% $102
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Monteria
$167 0.6% $0.9
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$66
Monteria
$60 8.9% $5.8
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Monteria
$25 * 60.7% $38

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,614 in Lisbon and $736 in Monteria. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61.0 in Lisbon vs $42.00 in Monteria. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $293, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇨🇴 Monteria
🕒 Local time
13:33 1:33 PM
07:33 7:33 AM
6 h behind Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
454,032
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Monteria 7,390 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Monteria

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 Monteria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Monteria?
Lisbon and Monteria differ by about 81% in total monthly costs ($2,223 vs $1,227 including rent). Monteria is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Lisbon compared to Monteria?
You'd need roughly $3,335 in Lisbon and $1,840 in Monteria 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Lisbon and in Monteria?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,614 in Lisbon versus $736 in Monteria. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city is more expensive overall: Lisbon or Monteria?
All in, you'll spend $2,223 per month in Lisbon versus $1,227 in Monteria – a 81% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $1,000 per month?
At $1,227 in Monteria versus $2,223 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Monteria but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Monteria the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Monteria?
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.
Is Lisbon or Monteria safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Monteria are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Lisbon or Monteria?
Expats usually find Monteria gentler on the wallet – expenses run 81% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Lisbon vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?