Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuenca, Spain and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Cuenca: $1,670 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Cuenca
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Cuenca Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Cuenca

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,670

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,670 per month in Cuenca vs $2,210 in Lisbon, rent included.

Cuenca $1,670
Lisbon $2,210

A couple spends around $2,437 per month in Cuenca vs $3,275 in Lisbon, rent included.

Cuenca $2,437
Lisbon $3,275

A family of three spends $3,205 per month in Cuenca vs $4,341 in Lisbon, rent included.

Cuenca $3,205
Lisbon $4,341

Cuenca is about 24% cheaper than Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Cuenca and Lisbon sit above the global median – Cuenca by 23%, Lisbon by 62%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.14 €15.36

$16.65 €14.92

2.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.51 €40.78

$61.7 €55.3

-26.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.98 €8.05

$11.36 €10.18

-20.95%

Cappuccino

$2.03 €1.82

$2.97 €2.66

-31.65%

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

$2.36 €2.12

$2.29 €2.05

3.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 €1.34

$1.74 €1.56

-14.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 €1.98

$3.40 €3.05

-35.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 €2.96

$3.31 €2.97

-0.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 €0.88

$1.16 €1.04

-15.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.00 €1.79

$1.91 €1.71

4.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 €1.39

$1.51 €1.36

2.65%

Eggs

$2.50 €2.24

$4.02 €3.60

-37.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.27 €14.58

$12.94 €11.59

25.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.38 €8.40

$7.77 €6.97

20.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.78 €18.62

$17.76 €15.92

17.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 €2.43

$2.30 €2.06

17.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 €2.17

$1.73 €1.55

39.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.58 €2.31

$1.86 €1.66

38.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.00 €2.69

$2.59 €2.32

15.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 €1.79

$1.82 €1.63

9.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.96

$1.97 €1.76

11.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 €1.60

$1.47 €1.32

21.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 €0.58

$0.72 €0.65

-9.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.30 €5.64

$6.58 €5.90

-4.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.41 €3.95

$5.61 €5.02

-21.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 €0.90

$1.36 €1.22

-26.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 €1.97

$2.14 €1.91

2.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.65 €1.48

$2.33 €2.09

-29.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.98 €28.66

$44.68 €40.04

-28.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.29 €2.05

$3.85 €3.45

-40.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.56 €26.49

$16.46 €14.75

79.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 €1.62

$2.20 €1.97

-17.73%

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

$35.6K €31.9K

$34.2K €30.6K

4.10%

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

$32.0K €28.7K

$38.7K €34.7K

-17.26%

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

$164 €147

$161 €144

1.90%

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

$11.56 €10.36

$18.41 €16.50

-37.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.65 €19.40

$32.74 €29.34

-33.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.51 €35.40

$44.55 €39.92

-11.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.95 €14.30

$19.10 €17.11

-16.49%

Cinema Ticket

$8.85 €7.93

$9.60 €8.60

-7.81%

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

$338 €303

$668 €598

-49.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,035 €7,200

$17.6K €15.8K

-54.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.9 €82.3

$102 €91.4

-9.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.11 €35.05

$44.46 €39.85

-12.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.4 €88.1

$98.5 €88.3

-0.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 €102

$124 €111

-7.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$879 €788

$1,608 €1,441

-45.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$692 €620

$1,190 €1,066

-41.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,354 €1,213

$2,812 €2,520

-51.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,020 €914

$2,013 €1,804

-49.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,298 €2,955

$7,839 €7,025

-57.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,188 €1,960

$4,576 €4,100

-52.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,405 €1,259

$1,575 €1,411

-10.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

3.85

-10.13%

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

Last update for Cuenca: October 27, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cuenca

$692 41.4%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8% 72% $498

Groceries & Markets

Cuenca

$301 18%

Lisbon

$272 12.3% 9.5% $29

Eating Out

Cuenca

$222 13.3%

Lisbon

$243 11% 9.5% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cuenca

$198 11.8%

Lisbon

$212 9.6% 7.5% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Cuenca

$155 9.3%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 7.4% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Cuenca

$57 3.4%

Lisbon

$64 2.9% 11.4% $6.5

Getting Around

Cuenca

$46 2.8%

Lisbon

$63 2.9% 36.6% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $879 in Cuenca versus $1,608 in Lisbon. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 12% higher in Lisbon, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46 in Cuenca versus $62 in Lisbon. Groceries tell a different story – $301 in Cuenca vs $272 in Lisbon – so Lisbon wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Cuenca

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

04:45 4:45 AM

03:45 3:45 AM

1 h behind Cuenca

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

53,512

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Cuenca Lisbon 620 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Cuenca
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

Cuenca vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,670 in Cuenca, $2,210 in Lisbon – Cuenca comes out roughly 24% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,505 per month in Cuenca and $3,315 in Lisbon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cuenca, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $879 there versus $1,608 in Lisbon.

Kindergarten costs $338 per month in Cuenca and $668 in Lisbon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 10% cheaper in Lisbon – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,670 in Cuenca and $2,210 in Lisbon, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Cuenca – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Cuenca. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lisbon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.