Cost of Living Comparison Between Manizales and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Manizales and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $766 in Manizales versus $2,296 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,743 in Manizales versus $3,376 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,721 in Manizales versus $4,457 in Lisbon.

Living in Manizales costs roughly 67% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Manizales is 44% below, Lisbon is 68% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.42 COP 20.3K

$17.59 €15.32

-63.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.11 COP 129.7K

$62.9 €54.8

-34.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.27 COP 32.4K

$11.58 €10.09

-11.31%

Cappuccino

$2.56 COP 8,061

$3.10 €2.70

-17.42%

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

$1.37 COP 4,333

$2.49 €2.17

-44.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 COP 2,622

$1.74 €1.52

-52.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.59 COP 5,003

$3.48 €3.03

-54.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 COP 8,235

$3.44 €3.00

-24.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 COP 5,093

$1.15 €1.00

40.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 COP 7,699

$1.91 €1.66

27.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,263

$1.50 €1.31

11.33%

Eggs

$3.85 COP 12.1K

$3.98 €3.47

-3.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.91 COP 25.0K

$13.29 €11.58

-40.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.50 COP 23.6K

$8.01 €6.98

-6.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 COP 34.2K

$18.04 €15.72

-39.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.54 COP 11.2K

$2.35 €2.05

50.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 COP 5,755

$1.75 €1.52

4.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,473

$1.85 €1.62

10.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.85 COP 5,831

$2.55 €2.22

-27.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,851

$1.84 €1.61

-16.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 COP 4,603

$2.10 €1.83

-30.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 COP 4,382

$1.49 €1.29

-6.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 COP 3,864

$0.82 €0.71

48.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.59 COP 14.5K

$7.10 €6.18

-35.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.73 COP 40.2K

$5.91 €5.15

115.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 COP 4,527

$1.31 €1.15

9.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 COP 9,020

$2.13 €1.86

34.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 COP 3,400

$2.36 €2.05

-54.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.61

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.64 COP 5,177

$4.08 €3.55

-59.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 COP 5,162

$1.14 €0.99

43.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.88 COP 31.2K

$17.09 €14.89

-42.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 COP 4,344

$2.31 €2.01

-40.26%

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

$22.3K COP 70.3M

$34.1K €29.7K

-34.69%

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

$35.3K COP 111.3M

$41.4K €36.0K

-14.74%

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

$129 COP 406.2K

$169 €147

-23.60%

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

$12.46 COP 39.3K

$19.33 €16.84

-35.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.40 COP 99.0K

$33.51 €29.20

-6.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.55

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.93

Cinema Ticket

$7.95 COP 25.1K

$9.57 €8.34

-16.93%

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

$489 COP 1.5M

$696 €606

-29.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,507 COP 20.5M

$17.4K €15.1K

-62.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.4 COP 263.1K

$105 €91.7

-20.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.64 COP 156.6K

$47.75 €41.60

3.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$144 COP 453.7K

$101 €87.6

43.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 COP 354.1K

$124 €108

-9.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,448

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,041 COP 3.3M

$2,965 €2,583

-64.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,038 COP 3.3M

$2,049 €1,785

-49.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,136 COP 6.7M

$7,834 €6,825

-72.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,123 COP 6.7M

$4,464 €3,889

-52.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,213 COP 3.8M

$1,632 €1,421

-25.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

217.46%

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

Last update for Manizales: September 12, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Lisbon pays 35% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $41.00 in Manizales vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $277 per month, with Manizales 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

Manizales vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manizales and Lisbon differ by about 200% in total monthly costs ($766 vs $2,296 including rent). Manizales is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 35% lower in Lisbon. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $766 per month in Manizales versus $2,296 in Lisbon – a 200% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $766 in Manizales versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Manizales but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Manizales 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, Manizales and Lisbon 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 Manizales gentler on the wallet – expenses run 200% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.