Cost of Living Comparison Between Monteria and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Monteria and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $758 in Monteria versus $2,291 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,168 in Monteria versus $3,322 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,579 in Monteria versus $4,354 in Lisbon.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Monteria is 43% below, Lisbon is 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.81 COP 15.7K

$16.19 €14.15

-70.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.26 COP 101.6K

$63.3 €55.3

-50.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.45 COP 24.2K

$10.32 €9.02

-27.81%

Cappuccino

$1.75 COP 5,680

$2.83 €2.47

-38.16%

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

$0.92 COP 2,977

$2.29 €2.00

-59.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 COP 2,096

$1.58 €1.38

-59.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.35 COP 4,381

$3.40 €2.97

-60.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 COP 6,245

$4.03 €3.52

-52.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 COP 3,239

$1.09 €0.95

-8.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,105

$1.75 €1.53

-28.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 COP 3,346

$1.76 €1.54

-41.48%

Eggs

$1.44 COP 4,681

$3.17 €2.77

-54.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.62 COP 15.0K

$13.19 €11.53

-64.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.85 COP 9,250

$7.97 €6.96

-64.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.90 COP 12.7K

$15.53 €13.57

-74.89%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 COP 6,172

$2.37 €2.07

-19.83%

Banana (1kg)

$0.46 COP 1,487

$1.71 €1.49

-73.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.98 COP 3,192

$2.01 €1.75

-51.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.85 COP 2,752

$2.43 €2.12

-65.02%

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 COP 2,949

$1.76 €1.54

-48.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 COP 3,300

$2.03 €1.78

-50.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 COP 2,648

$1.92 €1.68

-57.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 COP 1,484

$0.85 €0.74

-45.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.73 COP 8,881

$6.58 €5.75

-58.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.14 COP 36.2K

$5.58 €4.87

99.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 2,938

$1.33 €1.16

-32.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 COP 4,278

$2.97 €2.60

-55.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 COP 2,166

$2.28 €1.99

-70.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.75 COP 96.7K

$45.79 €40.01

-35.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.97 COP 6,414

$4.23 €3.69

-53.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.86 COP 9,308

$0.81 €0.71

253.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.40 COP 14.3K

$18.44 €16.11

-76.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 COP 3,035

$2.08 €1.82

-55.29%

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

$14.0K COP 45.5M

$34.7K €30.3K

-59.64%

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

$22.0K COP 71.6M

$39.2K €34.2K

-43.77%

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

$95.5 COP 310.3K

$148 €129

-35.53%

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

$7.07 COP 23.0K

$20.46 €17.88

-65.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.50 COP 63.4K

$39.56 €34.56

-50.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.34 COP 75.9K

$47.99 €41.93

-51.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.95 COP 32.3K

$18.60 €16.25

-46.51%

Cinema Ticket

$3.91 COP 12.7K

$9.22 €8.06

-57.59%

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

$167 COP 541.9K

$616 €538

-72.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,850 COP 6.0M

$16.4K €14.4K

-88.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 COP 193.3K

$103 €89.7

-42.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.34 COP 62.9K

$41.74 €36.47

-53.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.8 COP 197.6K

$94.8 €82.8

-35.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.08 COP 117.3K

$122 €107

-70.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$277 COP 900.9K

$1,633 €1,426

-83.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$241 COP 783.1K

$1,232 €1,077

-80.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$536 COP 1.7M

$3,098 €2,707

-82.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$423 COP 1.4M

$2,031 €1,775

-79.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,812 COP 5.9M

$7,831 €6,842

-76.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,390 COP 4.5M

$4,389 €3,835

-68.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$401 COP 1.3M

$1,607 €1,404

-75.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

162.47%

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

Last update for Monteria: July 14, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $277 in Monteria and $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 301% 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: $31.00 in Monteria vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $136 vs $267 per month, with Monteria 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

Monteria vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monteria and Lisbon differ by about 202% in total monthly costs ($758 vs $2,291 including rent). Monteria is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 301% 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: $277 in Monteria versus $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $167 in Monteria 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 97% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $758 in Monteria versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Monteria but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Monteria 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, Monteria 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 Monteria gentler on the wallet – expenses run 202% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.