Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,662 in Medellin versus $2,356 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,451 in Medellin versus $3,446 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,241 in Medellin versus $4,537 in Lisbon.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 29% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 22% above, Lisbon 73% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.94 COP 24.9K

$17.16 €14.83

-53.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.55 COP 136.5K

$63.6 €54.9

-31.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.73 COP 30.5K

$11.48 €9.92

-15.24%

Cappuccino

$2.92 COP 9,144

$3.11 €2.69

-6.11%

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

$1.88 COP 5,900

$2.41 €2.08

-21.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 COP 4,801

$1.63 €1.41

-6.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 COP 10.2K

$3.38 €2.92

-3.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.62 COP 17.6K

$3.45 €2.98

62.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,088

$1.21 €1.05

7.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.32 COP 7,281

$1.94 €1.68

19.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 COP 4,492

$1.51 €1.30

-5.30%

Eggs

$2.82 COP 8,836

$3.99 €3.45

-29.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.94 COP 28.0K

$13.19 €11.39

-32.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.74 COP 33.7K

$8.00 €6.91

34.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.45 COP 45.3K

$16.90 €14.60

-14.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.4K

$2.33 €2.02

70.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,330

$1.81 €1.56

-23.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 COP 7,075

$1.96 €1.69

15.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,574

$2.56 €2.21

-17.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 COP 6,561

$1.92 €1.66

8.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.60 COP 5,018

$2.05 €1.78

-21.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 COP 3,258

$1.49 €1.29

-30.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,996

$0.86 €0.74

48.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.95 COP 12.4K

$7.11 €6.15

-44.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.37 COP 41.9K

$5.92 €5.12

125.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,194

$1.37 €1.19

21.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 COP 9,324

$2.14 €1.85

39.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 COP 3,843

$2.46 €2.13

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.6 COP 246.3K

$45.67 €39.46

72.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 COP 4,717

$4.00 €3.46

-62.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 COP 6,394

$1.11 €0.96

83.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 COP 26.7K

$17.36 €15.00

-50.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,222

$2.26 €1.96

-40.27%

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

$28.1K COP 88.0M

$34.1K €29.5K

-17.70%

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

$36.0K COP 112.8M

$40.8K €35.3K

-11.82%

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

$152 COP 476.4K

$173 €150

-12.22%

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

$13.16 COP 41.3K

$19.21 €16.60

-31.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.61 COP 99.1K

$34.09 €29.46

-7.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 COP 150.1K

$47.69 €41.21

0.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.95 COP 53.1K

$19.61 €16.94

-13.56%

Cinema Ticket

$6.41 COP 20.1K

$9.95 €8.60

-35.58%

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

$853 COP 2.7M

$706 €610

20.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,701 COP 27.3M

$17.4K €15.1K

-50.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.0 COP 285.1K

$109 €94.3

-16.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.6 COP 171.1K

$47.13 €40.73

15.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 425.9K

$108 €93.4

25.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 340.8K

$128 €111

-15.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 COP 3.0M

$1,668 €1,441

-42.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$658 COP 2.1M

$1,288 €1,113

-48.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,985 COP 6.2M

$2,916 €2,520

-31.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,158 COP 3.6M

$2,067 €1,786

-43.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,664 COP 11.5M

$7,760 €6,705

-52.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,573 COP 4.9M

$4,446 €3,842

-64.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$629 COP 2.0M

$1,679 €1,450

-62.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.43

3.72

180.38%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 9, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: August 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Medellin and $1,668 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 167% 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: $44.00 in Medellin vs $64.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $295 vs $276, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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

Medellin vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Lisbon differ by about 42% in total monthly costs ($1,662 vs $2,356 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 167% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $963 in Medellin versus $1,668 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $853 in Medellin versus $706 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,662 in Medellin versus $2,356 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin 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, Medellin 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 Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.