Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Popayan Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Popayan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $805 in Popayan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,223 in Popayan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,640 in Popayan.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 175% more expensive than Popayan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Popayan is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$3.98 COP 14.2K

299.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$24.01 COP 85.7K

169.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$7.18 COP 25.6K

46.38%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$1.51 COP 5,406

90.07%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.86 COP 3,073

160.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.58 COP 2,069

158.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$1.15 COP 4,101

203.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$2.12 COP 7,573

83.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.05 COP 3,757

8.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.25 COP 4,447

40.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.18 COP 4,199

49.15%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.21 COP 7,887

45.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$4.54 COP 16.2K

197.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$5.18 COP 18.5K

52.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$7.14 COP 25.5K

122.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.43 COP 8,678

-4.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.07 COP 3,818

58.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.36 COP 4,843

47.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$0.85 COP 3,022

189.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.11 COP 3,980

65.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.12 COP 4,009

78.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.88 COP 3,149

119.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.64 COP 2,279

23.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$2.31 COP 8,264

186.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$10.38 COP 37.1K

-44.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.13 COP 4,046

21.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.80 COP 6,437

65.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.69 COP 2,461

243.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$29.66 COP 105.9K

53.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$1.46 COP 5,214

193.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.71 COP 6,104

-52.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$6.15 COP 21.9K

197.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.99 COP 3,543

108.08%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$17.9K COP 63.9M

91.70%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$25.5K COP 91.2M

53.83%

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

$148 €127

$83.5 COP 298.2K

77.07%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$8.86 COP 31.6K

131.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$22.84 COP 81.6K

73.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$23.53 COP 84.0K

103.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$3.93 COP 14.0K

133.59%

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

$614 €528

$241 COP 861.1K

154.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$6,042 COP 21.6M

165.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$58.4 COP 208.4K

79.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$32.94 COP 117.6K

27.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$82.9 COP 296.0K

13.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$72.8 COP 259.8K

64.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$284 COP 1.0M

474.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$242 COP 863.9K

418.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$525 COP 1.9M

477.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$423 COP 1.5M

377.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$1,434 COP 5.1M

443.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$1,260 COP 4.5M

238.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

13.18

-71.09%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Popayan: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $284 in Popayan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $24.00 in Popayan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $172 per month, with Popayan 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 Popayan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Popayan differ by about 175% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $805 including rent). Popayan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,315 in Lisbon and $1,207 in Popayan 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $284 in Popayan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $241 in Popayan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 56% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $805 in Popayan versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Popayan but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Popayan 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 Popayan 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 Popayan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 175% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.