Cost of Living Comparison Between Alicante and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Alicante and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,713 in Alicante versus $2,291 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,449 in Alicante versus $3,322 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,185 in Alicante versus $4,354 in Lisbon.

Living in Alicante costs roughly 25% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Alicante 28% above, Lisbon 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.38 €15.18

$16.19 €14.15

7.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.8 €51.4

$63.3 €55.3

-7.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.33 €9.03

$10.32 €9.02

0.10%

Cappuccino

$2.16 €1.89

$2.83 €2.47

-23.67%

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

$2.40 €2.10

$2.29 €2.00

4.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.58 €1.38

-2.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.81 €2.46

$3.40 €2.97

-17.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.01

$4.03 €3.52

-14.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.12

$1.09 €0.95

17.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 €1.58

$1.75 €1.53

3.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 €1.36

$1.76 €1.54

-11.93%

Eggs

$2.87 €2.51

$3.17 €2.77

-9.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.57 €10.11

$13.19 €11.53

-12.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.13 €7.98

$7.97 €6.96

14.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.34 €12.53

$15.53 €13.57

-7.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.45 €2.14

$2.37 €2.07

3.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.71 €1.49

15.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 €1.20

$2.01 €1.75

-31.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 €2.00

$2.43 €2.12

-5.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 €1.48

$1.76 €1.54

-3.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 €1.42

$2.03 €1.78

-19.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.92 €1.68

-43.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 €0.58

$0.85 €0.74

-22.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.96 €5.21

$6.58 €5.75

-9.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.61 €4.03

$5.58 €4.87

-17.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 €1.04

$1.33 €1.16

-10.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 €1.60

$2.97 €2.60

-38.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.64 €1.43

$2.28 €1.99

-28.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.11 €21.94

$45.79 €40.01

-45.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.70 €1.48

$4.23 €3.69

-59.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.28 €1.12

$0.81 €0.71

58.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.51 €15.30

$18.44 €16.11

-5.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$2.08 €1.82

-16.83%

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

$39.3K €34.3K

$34.7K €30.3K

13.32%

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

$29.7K €26.0K

$39.2K €34.2K

-24.09%

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

$126 €110

$148 €129

-15.19%

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

$20.50 €17.91

$20.46 €17.88

0.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.54 €27.56

$39.56 €34.56

-20.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.3 €48.31

$47.99 €41.93

15.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.15 €14.99

$18.60 €16.25

-7.80%

Cinema Ticket

$9.70 €8.47

$9.22 €8.06

5.21%

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

$710 €620

$616 €538

15.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K €9,323

$16.4K €14.4K

-35.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.5 €60.7

$103 €89.7

-32.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.04 €27.12

$41.74 €36.47

-25.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.3 €85.0

$94.8 €82.8

2.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 €94.3

$122 €107

-11.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$968 €845

$1,633 €1,426

-40.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$773 €675

$1,232 €1,077

-37.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,479 €1,292

$3,098 €2,707

-52.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 €884

$2,031 €1,775

-50.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,255 €3,718

$7,831 €6,842

-45.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,141 €1,871

$4,389 €3,835

-51.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,943 €1,698

$1,607 €1,404

20.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.58

3.81

-6.04%

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

Last update for Alicante: July 13, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $968 in Alicante and $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alicante pays 21% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $59.0 in Alicante vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $267 per month, with Alicante 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

Alicante vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alicante wins on cost – living expenses run 34% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Alicante the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 21% higher in Alicante, 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: $968 in Alicante versus $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $710 in Alicante versus $616 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,713 in Alicante versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Alicante but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Alicante the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Alicante delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,713 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Alicante hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Alicante 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 Alicante gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.