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: $1,716 in Medellin versus $2,316 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,527 in Medellin versus $3,361 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,338 in Medellin versus $4,405 in Lisbon.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 26% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 25% above, Lisbon 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.1K

$17.30 €14.89

-53.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 150.8K

$63.3 €54.4

-23.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.5K

$11.39 €9.80

-14.22%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,095

$3.19 €2.75

-8.78%

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

$1.94 COP 6,074

$2.45 €2.10

-20.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,754

$1.76 €1.52

-13.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,663

$3.59 €3.09

-13.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 17.9K

$3.39 €2.92

69.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,262

$1.24 €1.06

9.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,460

$1.98 €1.71

20.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,314

$1.52 €1.31

11.84%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 8,967

$4.04 €3.48

-28.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.1K

$13.54 €11.65

-26.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.7K

$8.39 €7.22

28.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.0K

$18.25 €15.70

-19.29%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$2.29 €1.97

78.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,911

$1.74 €1.50

-9.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,642

$1.86 €1.60

14.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,917

$2.63 €2.26

-15.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,396

$1.92 €1.65

6.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,700

$2.09 €1.80

-28.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,718

$1.44 €1.24

-17.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,619

$0.84 €0.72

38.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$6.78 €5.83

-42.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.1K

$5.71 €4.91

152.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,948

$1.38 €1.18

14.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,836

$2.22 €1.91

27.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,650

$2.40 €2.06

-51.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 242.9K

$46.78 €40.25

66.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,014

$4.17 €3.59

-69.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,537

$1.14 €0.98

83.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 26.9K

$17.68 €15.21

-51.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,056

$2.32 €2.00

-43.97%

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

$27.7K COP 86.4M

$35.3K €30.4K

-21.73%

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

$35.5K COP 110.9M

$41.4K €35.7K

-14.32%

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

$176 COP 550.1K

$170 €147

3.37%

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

$13.37 COP 41.8K

$19.34 €16.64

-30.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 93.4K

$33.64 €28.95

-11.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 139.8K

$48.10 €41.39

-6.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.3K

$19.90 €17.12

-14.27%

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.4K

$9.92 €8.54

-37.50%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$717 €617

10.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.2M

$17.5K €15.0K

-48.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 267.5K

$105 €90.2

-18.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 182.7K

$46.95 €40.40

24.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 425.9K

$103 €89.0

31.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 322.2K

$124 €107

-16.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$1,677 €1,443

-36.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$1,271 €1,094

-46.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$2,985 €2,568

-32.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$1,992 €1,715

-41.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.8M

$7,826 €6,734

-47.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

$4,658 €4,008

-63.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

$1,583 €1,362

-57.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

3.79

188.65%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,060 in Medellin and $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 138% 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: $48.00 in Medellin vs $63.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $303 vs $283, 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 35% in total monthly costs ($1,716 vs $2,316 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 138% 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: $1,060 in Medellin versus $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $793 in Medellin versus $717 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 $1,716 in Medellin versus $2,316 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 35% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.