Cost of Living Comparison Between Popayan and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Popayan and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,308 in Popayan versus $2,316 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Popayan versus $3,361 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,778 in Popayan versus $4,405 in Lisbon.

Living in Popayan costs roughly 44% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Popayan is 5% below, Lisbon is 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.52 COP 20.5K

$17.30 €14.93

-62.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.39 COP 120.9K

$63.3 €54.6

-39.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 COP 28.0K

$11.39 €9.83

-21.86%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,247

$3.19 €2.75

-7.84%

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

$1.46 COP 4,604

$2.45 €2.11

-40.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 COP 2,612

$1.76 €1.52

-52.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.33 COP 7,333

$3.59 €3.10

-35.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.17 COP 13.1K

$3.39 €2.93

23.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 COP 4,392

$1.24 €1.07

12.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 COP 7,950

$1.98 €1.71

27.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,311

$1.52 €1.31

-9.87%

Eggs

$2.93 COP 9,220

$4.04 €3.49

-27.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.39 COP 23.3K

$13.54 €11.68

-45.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.91 COP 34.4K

$8.39 €7.24

30.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 COP 41.2K

$18.25 €15.75

-28.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.56 COP 11.2K

$2.29 €1.98

55.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,828

$1.74 €1.50

-12.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,157

$1.86 €1.60

5.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.02 COP 6,373

$2.63 €2.27

-23.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.44 COP 4,537

$1.92 €1.65

-25.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,058

$2.09 €1.81

-22.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 COP 3,141

$1.44 €1.24

-30.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 COP 3,135

$0.84 €0.73

19.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 COP 12.9K

$6.78 €5.85

-39.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.24 COP 48.0K

$5.71 €4.93

166.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 COP 4,170

$1.38 €1.19

-4.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 COP 8,866

$2.22 €1.91

27.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 COP 3,080

$2.40 €2.07

-59.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.37

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.76 COP 5,533

$4.17 €3.60

-57.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.08 COP 6,535

$1.14 €0.98

82.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.81 COP 27.7K

$17.68 €15.26

-50.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,258

$2.32 €2.01

-41.81%

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

$22.1K COP 69.6M

$35.3K €30.5K

-37.43%

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

$34.8K COP 109.7M

$41.4K €35.8K

-15.96%

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

$117 COP 368.4K

$170 €147

-31.32%

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

$11.88 COP 37.4K

$19.34 €16.69

-38.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.04 COP 107.2K

$33.64 €29.03

1.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.82 COP 100.2K

$48.10 €41.50

-33.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.17

Cinema Ticket

$6.68 COP 21.0K

$9.92 €8.56

-32.66%

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

$676 COP 2.1M

$717 €619

-5.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,426 COP 20.2M

$17.5K €15.1K

-63.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.8 COP 279.7K

$105 €90.4

-15.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.2 COP 177.0K

$46.95 €40.51

19.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$133 COP 418.8K

$103 €89.2

28.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 308.4K

$124 €107

-20.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$708 COP 2.2M

$1,677 €1,447

-57.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$444 COP 1.4M

$1,271 €1,097

-65.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$930 COP 2.9M

$2,985 €2,575

-68.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$861 COP 2.7M

$1,992 €1,719

-56.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,137 COP 6.7M

$7,826 €6,753

-72.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,654 COP 5.2M

$4,658 €4,019

-64.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,366

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.58

3.79

205.54%

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

Last update for Popayan: August 30, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $708 in Popayan and $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $38.00 in Popayan vs $63.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $284 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

Popayan vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Popayan and Lisbon differ by about 77% in total monthly costs ($1,308 vs $2,316 including rent). Popayan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,962 in Popayan and $3,474 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $708 in Popayan versus $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 0% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,308 per month in Popayan versus $2,316 in Lisbon – a 77% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,308 in Popayan versus $2,316 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.

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, 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.

Expats usually find Popayan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 77% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.