Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alhambra, CA and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,202 a month against $3,538 in Alhambra, CA, rent and utilities included – about $16,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

171

Cost of Living Index in Alhambra, CA
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Alhambra, CA Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Alhambra, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,538

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Alhambra, CA 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 Alhambra, CA and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,538 in Alhambra, CA versus $2,202 in Lisbon.

Alhambra, CA $3,538
Lisbon $2,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,726 in Alhambra, CA versus $3,274 in Lisbon.

Alhambra, CA $4,726
Lisbon $3,274

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,913 in Alhambra, CA versus $4,346 in Lisbon.

Alhambra, CA $5,913
Lisbon $4,346

Living in Alhambra, CA is roughly 61% more expensive than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Alhambra, CA 161% above, Lisbon 62% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.02 $25.02

$17.04 €15.15

46.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.7 $78.7

$62.3 €55.4

26.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.02 $15.02

$11.02 €9.80

36.30%

Cappuccino

$5.86 $5.86

$3.12 €2.78

87.82%

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

$3.06 $3.06

$2.27 €2.02

34.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 $2.40

$1.74 €1.55

37.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.16 $7.16

$3.42 €3.04

109.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.81 $9.81

$3.74 €3.33

162.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 $1.40

$1.17 €1.04

19.66%

White Bread (500g)

$5.26 $5.26

$1.86 €1.66

182.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$1.54 €1.37

201.30%

Eggs

$6.01 $6.01

$4.06 €3.61

48.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.61 $11.61

$12.91 €11.49

-10.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.59 $8.59

$7.90 €7.03

8.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.37 $19.37

$17.64 €15.69

9.81%

Apples (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$2.26 €2.01

105.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.75 €1.55

30.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.98 $3.98

$1.89 €1.68

110.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.36 $5.36

$2.56 €2.27

109.38%

Potato (1kg)

$3.28 $3.28

$1.85 €1.64

77.30%

Onion (1kg)

$3.17 $3.17

$1.97 €1.75

60.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.45 €1.29

33.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 $2.81

$0.77 €0.69

264.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.86 $11.86

$6.71 €5.97

76.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.93 $14.93

$5.67 €5.04

163.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.37 €1.22

78.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 $2.72

$2.11 €1.88

28.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.32 €2.07

-26.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 $110

$44.43 €39.52

146.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 $2.94

$3.95 €3.51

-25.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.05 €0.93

72.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.75 $31.75

$17.15 €15.26

85.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 $1.48

$2.19 €1.95

-32.42%

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

$34.8K $34.8K

$33.8K €30.0K

3.13%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$38.3K €34.0K

-31.84%

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

$287 $287

$164 €146

74.96%

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

$77.9 $77.9

$18.48 €16.43

321.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.2 $74.2

$32.96 €29.32

125.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.90 $19.90

$45.87 €40.80

-56.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.76 $15.76

$18.68 €16.61

-15.63%

Cinema Ticket

$19.71 $19.71

$9.75 €8.67

102.15%

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

$1,174 $1,174

$684 €608

71.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$17.6K €15.7K

81.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.2 $63.2

$104 €92.3

-39.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.29 $47.29

$46.20 €41.09

2.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 $104

$99.7 €88.7

4.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$125 €111

-16.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,263 $2,263

$1,589 €1,414

42.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,945 $1,945

$1,169 €1,040

66.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,947 $2,947

$2,851 €2,536

3.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,507 $2,507

$1,993 €1,773

25.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,015 $7,015

$7,793 €6,932

-9.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,888 $5,888

$4,418 €3,930

33.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,895 $4,895

$1,600 €1,423

205.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.31

3.85

63.90%

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

Last update for Alhambra, CA: October 17, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Alhambra, CA

$1.9K 55%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1% 39.9% $776

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alhambra, CA

$439 12.4%

Lisbon

$215 9.8% 50.9% $223

Groceries & Markets

Alhambra, CA

$430 12.2%

Lisbon

$273 12.4% 36.5% $157

Eating Out

Alhambra, CA

$393 11.1%

Lisbon

$247 11.2% 37% $145

Clothing & Footwear

Alhambra, CA

$144 4.1%

Lisbon

$168 7.7% 17.3% $25

Getting Around

Alhambra, CA

$128 3.6%

Lisbon

$63 2.9% 51% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Alhambra, CA

$59 1.7%

Lisbon

$65 3% 10.2% $6.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,263 in Alhambra, CA and $1,589 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alhambra, CA pays 206% 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: $79.0 in Alhambra, CA vs $62.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $430 vs $273 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Alhambra, CA

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

14:03 2:03 PM

22:03 10:03 PM

8 h ahead of Alhambra, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

83,089

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Alhambra, CA Lisbon 9,110 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Alhambra, CA
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

Alhambra, CA vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alhambra, CA and Lisbon differ by about 61% in total monthly costs ($3,538 vs $2,202 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 206% higher in Alhambra, CA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,263 in Alhambra, CA versus $1,589 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 57% higher in Alhambra, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Lisbon – a meal for two runs $62.0 versus $79.0 in Alhambra, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,202 in Lisbon versus $3,538 in Alhambra, CA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Alhambra, CA. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon 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, Alhambra, CA 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 Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 61% less than in Alhambra, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.