Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Popayan and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Popayan: $1,340 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $10,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Popayan
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,340
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,223
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Popayan and in Lisbon

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Popayan and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,340 in Popayan versus $2,223 in Lisbon.

  • Popayan $1,340
  • Lisbon $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,023 in Popayan versus $3,271 in Lisbon.

  • Popayan $2,023
  • Lisbon $3,271

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,706 in Popayan versus $4,319 in Lisbon.

  • Popayan $2,706
  • Lisbon $4,319

Living in Popayan costs roughly 40% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Popayan is 1% below, Lisbon is 65% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Popayan
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.55 COP 20.8K
$16.50 €14.67
-60.30%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$45.13 COP 143.1K
$61.3 €54.5
-26.32%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.71 COP 27.6K
$11.27 €10.03
-22.72%
Cappuccino
$2.80 COP 8,877
$3.06 €2.72
-8.50%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.20 COP 3,793
$2.26 €2.01
-46.90%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.02 COP 3,234
$1.73 €1.54
-41.04%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.45 COP 10.9K
$3.39 €3.02
1.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.02 COP 12.8K
$3.40 €3.02
18.24%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Popayan
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.65 COP 5,224
$1.12 €1.00
47.32%
White Bread (500g)
$2.49 COP 7,898
$1.86 €1.65
33.87%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.68 COP 5,338
$1.53 €1.36
9.80%
Eggs
$3.13 COP 9,927
$3.96 €3.53
-20.96%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.94 COP 22.0K
$12.76 €11.35
-45.61%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.05 COP 35.0K
$7.90 €7.02
39.87%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.39 COP 32.9K
$16.97 €15.09
-38.77%
Apples (1kg)
$3.49 COP 11.1K
$2.27 €2.02
53.74%
Banana (1kg)
$1.64 COP 5,209
$1.75 €1.55
-6.29%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.83 COP 5,805
$1.85 €1.64
-1.08%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,031
$2.57 €2.28
-38.13%
Potato (1kg)
$1.33 COP 4,232
$1.86 €1.65
-28.49%
Onion (1kg)
$1.49 COP 4,714
$2.02 €1.80
-26.24%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.13 COP 3,572
$1.44 €1.28
-21.53%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.00 COP 3,183
$0.82 €0.73
21.95%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.81 COP 12.1K
$6.56 €5.83
-41.92%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.86 COP 37.6K
$5.62 €5.00
111.03%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,485
$1.28 €1.14
10.16%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.62 COP 8,304
$2.07 €1.84
26.57%
🚌 Getting Around
Popayan
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.05 COP 3,332
$2.35 €2.09
-55.32%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$44.18 €39.30
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.71 COP 5,413
$3.99 €3.55
-57.14%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.27 COP 7,194
$1.09 €0.97
108.26%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$9.26 COP 29.4K
$16.64 €14.81
-44.35%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.29 COP 4,091
$2.28 €2.03
-43.42%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$25.7K COP 81.4M
$33.7K €30.0K
-23.73%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.5K COP 112.5M
$39.3K €35.0K
-9.66%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Popayan
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$136 COP 431.3K
$167 €149
-18.78%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.34 COP 35.9K
$18.80 €16.72
-39.68%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$26.78 COP 84.9K
$33.09 €29.43
-19.07%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Popayan
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$34.41 COP 109.1K
$46.01 €40.93
-25.21%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$19.19 €17.07
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.91 COP 18.8K
$9.84 €8.75
-39.94%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Popayan
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$539 COP 1.7M
$677 €602
-20.39%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,384 COP 23.4M
$16.9K €15.1K
-56.36%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Popayan
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$78.9 COP 250.1K
$101 €90.1
-22.10%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$59.9 COP 189.8K
$45.76 €40.70
30.86%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$131 COP 414.9K
$100.0 €88.9
30.85%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$115 COP 363.3K
$123 €109
-6.69%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Popayan
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$554 COP 1.8M
$1,614 €1,436
-65.70%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$513 COP 1.6M
$1,197 €1,065
-57.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$903 COP 2.9M
$2,862 €2,545
-68.44%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$874 COP 2.8M
$1,990 €1,770
-56.11%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,101 COP 6.7M
$7,577 €6,740
-72.27%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,896 COP 6.0M
$4,307 €3,831
-55.99%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Popayan
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,588 €1,412
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.58
3.85
200.78%

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

Last update for Popayan: October 11, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Popayan
$513
Lisbon
$1.2K 133% $684
Groceries & Markets
Popayan
$270
Lisbon
$269 0.2% $0.6
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Popayan
$174
Lisbon
$219 26% $45
Clothing & Footwear
Popayan
$173
Lisbon
$166 3.7% $6.5
Eating Out
Popayan
$146
Lisbon
$242 65.6% $96
Sport & Entertainment
Popayan
$46
Lisbon
$66 42.1% $19
Getting Around
Popayan
$17 *
Lisbon
$63 265% $46

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $554 in Popayan and $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in Popayan vs $61.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $270 vs $269, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Popayan
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
21:39 9:39 PM
03:39 3:39 AM
6 h ahead of Popayan
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
318,059
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Popayan Lisbon 7,900 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Popayan
  • Lisbon

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Popayan vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Popayan and in Lisbon?
Popayan and Lisbon differ by about 66% in total monthly costs ($1,340 vs $2,223 including rent). Popayan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Popayan compared to Lisbon?
You'd need roughly $2,009 in Popayan and $3,335 in Lisbon to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do apartment prices compare in Popayan and in Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $554 in Popayan versus $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 0% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city is more expensive overall: Popayan or Lisbon?
All in, you'll spend $1,340 per month in Popayan versus $2,223 in Lisbon – a 66% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,340 in Popayan versus $2,223 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Popayan but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Popayan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Popayan and Lisbon?
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.
Is Popayan or Lisbon safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Popayan 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.
Where should expats move: Popayan or Lisbon?
Expats usually find Popayan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 66% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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