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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $795 in Salento.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,207 in Salento.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,620 in Salento.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 188% more expensive than in Salento, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$3.90 COP 12.7K

315.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$24.03 COP 78.2K

163.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$7.24 COP 23.6K

42.54%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$1.56 COP 5,091

81.41%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$0.89 COP 2,892

157.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.60 COP 1,968

163.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$1.16 COP 3,767

193.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$2.21 COP 7,203

82.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.09 COP 3,556

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.25 COP 4,055

40.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.18 COP 3,836

49.15%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.12 COP 6,889

49.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$4.41 COP 14.4K

199.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$5.23 COP 17.0K

52.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$7.53 COP 24.5K

106.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$2.44 COP 7,950

-2.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.04 COP 3,393

64.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.37 COP 4,447

46.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$1.09 COP 3,563

122.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.16 COP 3,768

51.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.17 COP 3,804

73.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.83 COP 2,692

131.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.69 COP 2,251

23.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$2.42 COP 7,872

171.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$9.46 COP 30.8K

-41.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.09 COP 3,543

22.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$1.77 COP 5,746

67.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.68 COP 2,202

235.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

$29.61 COP 96.4K

54.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$1.47 COP 4,802

187.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$1.78 COP 5,784

-54.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$6.20 COP 20.2K

197.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$0.93 COP 3,044

123.66%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$18.2K COP 59.2M

90.76%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$25.1K COP 81.6M

56.28%

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

$148 €130

$82.0 COP 267.0K

80.53%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$8.97 COP 29.2K

128.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$22.78 COP 74.2K

73.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$23.71 COP 77.2K

102.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$3.83 COP 12.5K

140.73%

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

$616 €539

$235 COP 765.2K

162.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$5,886 COP 19.2M

179.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$59.9 COP 194.9K

71.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$32.43 COP 105.6K

28.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$83.0 COP 270.0K

14.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$71.9 COP 234.1K

69.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$271 COP 881.5K

502.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$241 COP 783.6K

411.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$533 COP 1.7M

481.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$411 COP 1.3M

394.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

$1,451 COP 4.7M

439.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

$1,068 COP 3.5M

311.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Salento: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $271 in Salento. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $24.00 in Salento for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 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 188% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $795 including rent). Salento 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 $1,193 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $271 in Salento. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $235 in Salento. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 54% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $795 in Salento versus $2,291 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 188% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.