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: $1,031 in Medellin versus $2,291 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $3,322 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $4,354 in Lisbon.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 55% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% below, Lisbon is 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 19.8K

$16.19 €14.20

-61.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 104.8K

$63.3 €55.5

-48.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.6K

$10.32 €9.05

-28.88%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,527

$2.83 €2.48

-39.22%

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

$1.05 COP 3,376

$2.29 €2.01

-54.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,482

$1.58 €1.38

-51.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,417

$3.40 €2.98

-50.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.2K

$4.03 €3.53

-21.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,379

$1.09 €0.96

-3.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,181

$1.75 €1.53

-25.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,485

$1.76 €1.54

-20.45%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 6,956

$3.17 €2.78

-31.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.1K

$13.19 €11.57

-66.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 18.9K

$7.97 €6.99

-26.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 27.8K

$15.53 €13.62

-44.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,330

$2.37 €2.08

-3.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,557

$1.71 €1.50

-35.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,918

$2.01 €1.76

-23.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,353

$2.43 €2.13

-44.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,627

$1.76 €1.54

-35.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,644

$2.03 €1.78

-44.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,717

$1.92 €1.68

-55.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,937

$0.85 €0.74

7.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,531

$6.58 €5.77

-64.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 39.7K

$5.58 €4.89

121.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,859

$1.33 €1.17

-9.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,000

$2.97 €2.61

-16.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,692

$2.28 €2.00

-63.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 130.4K

$45.79 €40.15

-11.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,563

$4.23 €3.71

-66.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,155

$0.81 €0.71

137.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.6K

$18.44 €16.17

-58.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,181

$2.08 €1.82

-52.40%

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

$18.0K COP 57.9M

$34.7K €30.4K

-47.99%

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

$26.6K COP 85.6M

$39.2K €34.3K

-32.00%

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

$80.8 COP 259.7K

$148 €130

-45.42%

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

$9.95 COP 32.0K

$20.46 €17.94

-51.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 77.7K

$39.56 €34.68

-38.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 80.6K

$47.99 €42.08

-47.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 61.5K

$18.60 €16.31

2.96%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 12.8K

$9.22 €8.09

-56.83%

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

$305 COP 980.7K

$616 €540

-50.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.5M

$16.4K €14.4K

-63.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 186.8K

$103 €90.1

-43.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 103.5K

$41.74 €36.60

-22.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 323.7K

$94.8 €83.1

6.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 346.3K

$122 €107

-11.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.5M

$1,633 €1,431

-70.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$1,232 €1,081

-69.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$3,098 €2,717

-72.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.3M

$2,031 €1,781

-64.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.3M

$7,831 €6,866

-58.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.4M

$4,389 €3,849

-68.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

$1,607 €1,409

-61.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

3.81

252.49%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Medellin and $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 161% 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: $33.00 in Medellin vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $267 per month, with Medellin 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

Medellin vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Lisbon differ by about 122% in total monthly costs ($1,031 vs $2,291 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 161% 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: $477 in Medellin versus $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $305 in Medellin versus $616 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,031 in Medellin versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $1,500 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 122% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.