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: $747 in Monteria versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,151 in Monteria versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,554 in Monteria versus $4,411 in Lisbon.

Living in Monteria costs roughly 66% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monteria is 44% below, Lisbon is 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.71 COP 16.8K

$15.91 €13.69

-70.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.22 COP 111.5K

$64.8 €55.7

-51.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.30 COP 26.1K

$10.51 €9.04

-30.54%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,118

$2.87 €2.47

-40.42%

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

$0.88 COP 3,141

$2.24 €1.93

-60.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 COP 2,280

$1.50 €1.29

-57.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.31 COP 4,670

$3.49 €3.00

-62.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 COP 6,841

$3.88 €3.34

-50.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 COP 3,273

$1.14 €0.98

-19.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.32 COP 4,702

$1.75 €1.51

-24.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 COP 3,661

$1.76 €1.51

-41.48%

Eggs

$1.44 COP 5,129

$3.22 €2.77

-55.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.66 COP 16.6K

$13.49 €11.61

-65.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.84 COP 10.1K

$7.91 €6.81

-64.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.89 COP 13.9K

$15.87 €13.65

-75.49%

Apples (1kg)

$1.97 COP 7,032

$2.31 €1.99

-14.72%

Banana (1kg)

$0.46 COP 1,633

$1.70 €1.46

-72.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.00 COP 3,556

$2.01 €1.73

-50.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.82 COP 2,929

$2.46 €2.12

-66.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.89 COP 3,190

$1.84 €1.59

-51.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 COP 3,615

$2.00 €1.72

-49.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.82 COP 2,924

$1.93 €1.66

-57.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 COP 1,652

$0.79 €0.68

-41.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.77 COP 9,886

$6.61 €5.68

-58.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.52 COP 34.0K

$5.72 €4.92

66.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 COP 3,080

$1.37 €1.17

-37.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 4,578

$2.97 €2.56

-56.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 COP 2,449

$2.37 €2.04

-70.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.84 COP 106.5K

$45.56 €39.19

-34.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 COP 6,852

$4.29 €3.69

-55.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.82 COP 10.1K

$0.82 €0.70

243.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.44 COP 15.9K

$18.30 €15.74

-75.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 COP 3,480

$2.06 €1.78

-52.91%

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

$13.9K COP 49.8M

$34.3K €29.5K

-59.34%

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

$22.7K COP 81.2M

$39.3K €33.8K

-42.10%

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

$97.2 COP 347.1K

$148 €127

-34.27%

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

$7.06 COP 25.2K

$20.52 €17.65

-65.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.73 COP 70.5K

$39.61 €34.08

-50.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.31 COP 83.2K

$47.85 €41.16

-51.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.64 COP 34.4K

$18.92 €16.28

-49.05%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 14.2K

$9.18 €7.90

-56.64%

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

$167 COP 596.7K

$614 €528

-72.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,784 COP 6.4M

$16.0K €13.8K

-88.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.6 COP 212.7K

$105 €90.0

-43.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.36 COP 69.1K

$42.06 €36.18

-53.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.4 COP 219.3K

$94.0 €80.8

-34.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.85 COP 131.6K

$120 €103

-69.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$282 COP 1.0M

$1,628 €1,400

-82.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$236 COP 841.1K

$1,255 €1,080

-81.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$520 COP 1.9M

$3,030 €2,607

-82.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$422 COP 1.5M

$2,020 €1,738

-79.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,634 COP 5.8M

$7,800 €6,709

-79.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,204 COP 4.3M

$4,273 €3,675

-71.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$358 COP 1.3M

$1,603 €1,379

-77.67%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $282 in Monteria and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 348% 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 $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $132 vs $269 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 196% in total monthly costs ($747 vs $2,210 including rent). Monteria is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Lisbon earns 348% less. 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: $282 in Monteria versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $167 in Monteria versus $614 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 104% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $747 in Monteria versus $2,210 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 196% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.