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: $805 in Popayan versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,223 in Popayan versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,640 in Popayan versus $4,411 in Lisbon.

Living in Popayan costs roughly 64% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Popayan is 40% below, Lisbon is 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.98 COP 14.2K

$15.91 €13.69

-74.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.01 COP 85.7K

$64.8 €55.7

-62.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.18 COP 25.6K

$10.51 €9.04

-31.68%

Cappuccino

$1.51 COP 5,406

$2.87 €2.47

-47.39%

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

$0.86 COP 3,073

$2.24 €1.93

-61.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 COP 2,069

$1.50 €1.29

-61.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.15 COP 4,101

$3.49 €3.00

-67.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 COP 7,573

$3.88 €3.34

-45.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,757

$1.14 €0.98

-7.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,447

$1.75 €1.51

-28.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 COP 4,199

$1.76 €1.51

-32.95%

Eggs

$2.21 COP 7,887

$3.22 €2.77

-31.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.54 COP 16.2K

$13.49 €11.61

-66.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.18 COP 18.5K

$7.91 €6.81

-34.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.14 COP 25.5K

$15.87 €13.65

-55.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.43 COP 8,678

$2.31 €1.99

5.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,818

$1.70 €1.46

-37.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,843

$2.01 €1.73

-32.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.85 COP 3,022

$2.46 €2.12

-65.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,980

$1.84 €1.59

-39.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,009

$2.00 €1.72

-44.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 COP 3,149

$1.93 €1.66

-54.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 COP 2,279

$0.79 €0.68

-18.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.31 COP 8,264

$6.61 €5.68

-65.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.38 COP 37.1K

$5.72 €4.92

81.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 COP 4,046

$1.37 €1.17

-17.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 COP 6,437

$2.97 €2.56

-39.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 COP 2,461

$2.37 €2.04

-70.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.66 COP 105.9K

$45.56 €39.19

-34.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.46 COP 5,214

$4.29 €3.69

-65.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 COP 6,104

$0.82 €0.70

108.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.15 COP 21.9K

$18.30 €15.74

-66.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,543

$2.06 €1.78

-51.94%

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

$17.9K COP 63.9M

$34.3K €29.5K

-47.84%

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

$25.5K COP 91.2M

$39.3K €33.8K

-34.99%

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

$83.5 COP 298.2K

$148 €127

-43.52%

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

$8.86 COP 31.6K

$20.52 €17.65

-56.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.84 COP 81.6K

$39.61 €34.08

-42.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.53 COP 84.0K

$47.85 €41.16

-50.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$9.18 €7.90

-57.19%

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

$241 COP 861.1K

$614 €528

-60.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,042 COP 21.6M

$16.0K €13.8K

-62.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.4 COP 208.4K

$105 €90.0

-44.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.94 COP 117.6K

$42.06 €36.18

-21.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.9 COP 296.0K

$94.0 €80.8

-11.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.8 COP 259.8K

$120 €103

-39.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$284 COP 1.0M

$1,628 €1,400

-82.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 COP 863.9K

$1,255 €1,080

-80.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$525 COP 1.9M

$3,030 €2,607

-82.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$423 COP 1.5M

$2,020 €1,738

-79.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,434 COP 5.1M

$7,800 €6,709

-81.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,260 COP 4.5M

$4,273 €3,675

-70.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.18

3.81

245.93%

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

Last update for Popayan: June 1, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $284 in Popayan and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $24.00 in Popayan vs $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $172 vs $269 per month, with Popayan 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

Popayan vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Popayan and Lisbon differ by about 175% in total monthly costs ($805 vs $2,210 including rent). Popayan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,207 in Popayan and $3,315 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: $284 in Popayan versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $241 in Popayan 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 56% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $805 in Popayan versus $2,210 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 175% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.