Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Popayan

For one person, living is cheaper in Popayan: $1,398 a month against $2,206 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon, Portugal
Popayan, Colombia
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,206
/mo nomad
Popayan
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,398
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Popayan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,206 in Lisbon versus $1,398 in Popayan.

  • Lisbon $2,206
  • Popayan $1,398

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,276 in Lisbon versus $2,091 in Popayan.

  • Lisbon $3,276
  • Popayan $2,091

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $2,783 in Popayan.

  • Lisbon $4,346
  • Popayan $2,783

Living in Lisbon is roughly 58% more expensive than in Popayan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 63% above, Popayan 3% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Popayan
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.86 €15.02
$7.83 COP 25.2K
115.33%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.0 €54.4
$46.74 COP 150.3K
30.59%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.98 €9.78
$9.82 COP 31.6K
11.81%
Cappuccino
$3.05 €2.72
$2.77 COP 8,896
10.11%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.28 €2.03
$1.36 COP 4,387
67.65%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.68 €1.50
$0.91 COP 2,919
84.62%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.44 €3.06
$2.86 COP 9,208
20.28%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.91 €3.48
$4.26 COP 13.7K
-8.22%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Popayan
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.15 €1.02
$1.50 COP 4,819
-23.33%
White Bread (500g)
$1.89 €1.68
$2.07 COP 6,672
-8.70%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 €1.34
$1.99 COP 6,390
-24.62%
Eggs
$4.12 €3.67
$3.31 COP 10.6K
24.47%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.01 €11.59
$8.28 COP 26.6K
57.13%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.04 €7.17
$11.20 COP 36.0K
-28.21%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.89 €15.94
$14.18 COP 45.6K
26.16%
Apples (1kg)
$2.27 €2.02
$3.93 COP 12.6K
-42.24%
Banana (1kg)
$1.74 €1.55
$1.49 COP 4,792
16.78%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.82 €1.62
$1.82 COP 5,843
-
Tomato (1kg)
$2.69 €2.39
$1.81 COP 5,833
48.62%
Potato (1kg)
$1.77 €1.57
$1.62 COP 5,204
9.26%
Onion (1kg)
$1.94 €1.73
$1.69 COP 5,438
14.79%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.46 €1.30
$1.04 COP 3,354
40.38%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.76 €0.68
$1.34 COP 4,309
-43.28%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.66 €5.93
$4.02 COP 12.9K
65.67%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.64 €5.02
$13.00 COP 41.8K
-56.62%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.29 €1.15
$1.61 COP 5,171
-19.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.91
$2.27 COP 7,296
-5.73%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Popayan
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.30 €2.05
$1.17 COP 3,764
96.58%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.02 €39.21
$56.8 COP 182.7K
-22.51%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.98 €3.55
$1.71 COP 5,490
132.75%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.64 €0.57
$2.15 COP 6,929
-70.23%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$18.93 €16.86
$8.15 COP 26.2K
132.27%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.28 €2.03
$1.33 COP 4,284
71.43%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.4K €29.7K
$36.6K COP 117.9M
-8.93%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.5K €34.3K
$37.8K COP 121.6M
1.91%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Popayan
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$158 €141
$111 COP 358.5K
41.93%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.54 €15.62
$14.64 COP 47.1K
19.81%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.18 €27.78
$27.47 COP 88.4K
13.51%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Popayan
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.64 €39.77
$39.02 COP 125.5K
14.40%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.98 €16.91
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.58 €8.53
$6.76 COP 21.7K
41.72%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Popayan
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$674 €600
$507 COP 1.6M
32.89%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.7K €16.7K
$10.5K COP 33.7M
79.00%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Popayan
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.0
$80.7 COP 259.6K
26.63%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.90 €40.89
$58.1 COP 186.8K
-20.98%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$102 €91.0
$119 COP 384.0K
-14.40%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$122 €109
$104 COP 333.4K
17.68%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Popayan
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,641 €1,461
$802 COP 2.6M
104.65%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,187 €1,058
$506 COP 1.6M
134.60%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,825 €2,516
$1,349 COP 4.3M
109.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,018 €1,798
$779 COP 2.5M
158.91%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,836 €6,980
$2,078 COP 6.7M
276.99%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,701 €4,188
$1,794 COP 5.8M
162.02%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Popayan
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,687 €1,503
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.82
12
-68.17%

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

Last update for Lisbon: November 1, 2026

Last update for Popayan: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Popayan
$506 57.4% $681
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$275
Popayan
$292 6.4% $18
Eating Out
Lisbon
$245
Popayan
$157 35.9% $88
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$207
Popayan
$154 25.8% $53
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$168
Popayan
$163 2.8% $4.7
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Popayan
$53 17.7% $11
Getting Around
Lisbon
$60
Popayan
$74 22.4% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,641 in Lisbon and $802 in Popayan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61 in Lisbon vs $47 in Popayan. Groceries flip the comparison at $275 vs $292, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇨🇴 Popayan
🕒 Local time
20:55 8:55 PM
15:55 3:55 PM
5 h behind Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
318,059
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 0.891 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3,217 COP (10,000 COP = 3.11 USD). 1 EUR = 3,611 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Popayan 7,900 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Popayan

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 Popayan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Popayan?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,206 in Lisbon and $1,398 in Popayan, so Popayan is about 37% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Lisbon compared to Popayan?
You’d need roughly $3,309 in Lisbon and $2,098 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Lisbon and in Popayan?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,641 in Lisbon versus $802 in Popayan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Lisbon and Popayan?
Childcare runs $674 in Lisbon versus $507 in Popayan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,398 in Popayan versus $2,206 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.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Popayan?
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.

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