Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Salento Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Salento

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $784 in Salento.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,214 in Salento.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,644 in Salento.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 182% more expensive than Salento, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Salento is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$3.85 COP 13.7K

313.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$23.64 COP 84.4K

173.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$7.23 COP 25.8K

45.37%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$1.50 COP 5,373

91.33%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.87 COP 3,091

157.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.62 COP 2,197

141.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$1.19 COP 4,262

193.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$2.13 COP 7,623

82.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.05 COP 3,755

8.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.26 COP 4,484

38.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.19 COP 4,250

47.90%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.18 COP 7,795

47.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$4.45 COP 15.9K

203.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$5.39 COP 19.2K

46.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$7.27 COP 26.0K

118.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.52 COP 8,988

-8.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.03 COP 3,690

65.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.29 COP 4,615

55.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.10 COP 3,933

123.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.16 COP 4,152

58.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.17 COP 4,175

70.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.86 COP 3,064

124.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.65 COP 2,323

21.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$2.43 COP 8,686

172.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$9.37 COP 33.4K

-38.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.09 COP 3,886

25.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.78 COP 6,347

66.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.73 COP 2,613

224.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$29.95 COP 107.0K

52.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$1.49 COP 5,321

187.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.77 COP 6,316

-53.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$6.18 COP 22.1K

196.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.99 COP 3,537

108.08%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$17.6K COP 63.0M

94.42%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$25.4K COP 90.7M

54.76%

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

$148 €127

$83.5 COP 298.1K

77.13%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$9.35 COP 33.4K

119.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$22.67 COP 80.9K

74.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$23.78 COP 84.9K

101.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$3.90 COP 13.9K

135.38%

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

$614 €528

$237 COP 847.9K

158.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$5,841 COP 20.9M

174.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$59.3 COP 211.7K

76.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$32.74 COP 116.9K

28.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$83.8 COP 299.1K

12.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$72.7 COP 259.5K

64.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$271 COP 966.6K

501.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$235 COP 837.5K

435.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$535 COP 1.9M

466.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$410 COP 1.5M

392.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$1,447 COP 5.2M

439.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$1,079 COP 3.9M

296.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

13.06

-70.83%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Salento: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $271 in Salento. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $24.00 in Salento for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $173 per month, with Salento 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 Salento: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Salento differ by about 182% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $784 including rent). Salento 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 $1,176 in Salento 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 $271 in Salento. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $237 in Salento. 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 $784 in Salento versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Salento but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Salento 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 Salento 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 Salento gentler on the wallet – expenses run 182% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.