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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $804 in Popayan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,223 in Popayan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,642 in Popayan.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 185% more expensive than in Popayan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Popayan is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$3.82 COP 12.4K

323.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$23.83 COP 77.6K

165.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$7.29 COP 23.7K

41.56%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$1.50 COP 4,898

88.67%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$0.88 COP 2,866

160.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.61 COP 1,977

159.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$1.17 COP 3,798

190.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$2.21 COP 7,187

82.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$1.11 COP 3,602

-1.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.29 COP 4,215

35.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.17 COP 3,823

50.43%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.22 COP 7,224

42.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$4.31 COP 14.0K

206.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$5.21 COP 17.0K

52.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$7.16 COP 23.3K

116.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$2.52 COP 8,197

-5.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.11 COP 3,622

54.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.37 COP 4,449

46.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$0.91 COP 2,958

167.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.12 COP 3,647

57.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.13 COP 3,684

79.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.81 COP 2,645

137.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.65 COP 2,116

30.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$2.41 COP 7,859

173.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$13.06 COP 42.5K

-57.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.12 COP 3,658

18.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$1.74 COP 5,659

70.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.71 COP 2,325

221.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$30.45 COP 99.1K

50.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$1.47 COP 4,800

187.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$1.65 COP 5,373

-50.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$6.19 COP 20.1K

197.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.00 COP 3,254

108.00%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$17.6K COP 57.4M

96.64%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$25.7K COP 83.6M

52.47%

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

$148 €130

$83.9 COP 273.0K

76.57%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$9.26 COP 30.1K

120.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$22.35 COP 72.8K

77.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$23.29 COP 75.8K

106.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$3.87 COP 12.6K

138.24%

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

$616 €540

$241 COP 784.9K

155.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$5,914 COP 19.3M

178.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$59.8 COP 194.6K

71.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$32.82 COP 106.8K

27.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$84.4 COP 274.7K

12.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$72.3 COP 235.4K

68.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$281 COP 914.1K

481.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$237 COP 771.0K

420.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$519 COP 1.7M

496.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$430 COP 1.4M

371.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$1,662 COP 5.4M

371.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$1,192 COP 3.9M

268.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Popayan: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $281 in Popayan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $24.00 in Popayan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $179 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 185% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $804 including rent). Popayan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,437 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $281 in Popayan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 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 49% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $804 in Popayan versus $2,291 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 185% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.