Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Alba

For one person, living is cheaper in Alba: $1,640 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Alba
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Alba Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Alba

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,640

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Alba

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Alba actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,210 per month in Lisbon vs $1,640 in Alba, rent included.

Lisbon $2,210
Alba $1,640

A couple spends around $3,275 per month in Lisbon vs $2,569 in Alba, rent included.

Lisbon $3,275
Alba $2,569

A family of three spends $4,341 per month in Lisbon vs $3,498 in Alba, rent included.

Lisbon $4,341
Alba $3,498

Lisbon costs about 35% more than Alba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Lisbon and Alba sit above the global median – Lisbon by 62%, Alba by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.95

$22.40 €20.12

-25.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.5

$90.7 €81.4

-31.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.20

$13.17 €11.83

-13.74%

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.67

$2.08 €1.87

42.79%

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

$2.29 €2.06

$3.77 €3.39

-39.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.56

$1.87 €1.68

-6.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.06

$5.64 €5.07

-39.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.97

$6.87 €6.17

-51.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.04

$1.69 €1.52

-31.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.72

$3.22 €2.89

-40.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.36

$3.68 €3.31

-58.97%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.61

$4.88 €4.38

-17.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.62

$22.81 €20.49

-43.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.98

$14.73 €13.23

-47.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.95

$22.87 €20.55

-22.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.07

$2.94 €2.64

-21.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.56

$2.34 €2.10

-26.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.67

$3.29 €2.95

-43.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.33

$4.22 €3.79

-38.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.64

$2.35 €2.11

-22.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.77

$1.99 €1.79

-1.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

$1.81 €1.63

-18.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

$0.61 €0.55

18.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.91

$6.56 €5.89

0.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.04

$9.46 €8.49

-40.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

$2.02 €1.81

-32.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.92

$2.40 €2.16

-10.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.10

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.14

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.46

$7.84 €7.04

-50.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

$2.27 €2.04

-52.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.79

$65.3 €58.7

-74.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.98

$2.09 €1.87

5.26%

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

$34.2K €30.7K

$36.4K €32.7K

-6.07%

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

$38.7K €34.8K

$38.0K €34.1K

1.98%

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

$161 €145

$254 €229

-36.63%

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

$18.41 €16.54

$8.00 €7.19

130.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.41

$29.01 €26.06

12.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €40.02

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.16

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.62

$11.35 €10.19

-15.42%

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

$668 €600

$927 €832

-27.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

$18.9K €17.0K

-6.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.6

0.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.94

$50.6 €45.41

-12.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.5

$117 €105

-15.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$168 €151

-26.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,445

$548 €492

193.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,069

$385 €346

209.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,526

$719 €646

291.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,808

$615 €553

227.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,042

$3,013 €2,707

160.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,110

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,415

$2,622 €2,355

-39.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

3.18

21.07%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Alba: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Alba

$385 23.5% 67.7% $805

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Alba

$416 25.4% 52.9% $144

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

Alba

$308 18.8% 27% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Alba

$291 17.8% 37.2% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Alba

$197 12% 18.8% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Alba

$23 * 1.4% 64.4% $41

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Alba

$19 * 1.2% 69.6% $44

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,608 in Lisbon versus $548 in Alba. 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 66% higher in Alba, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Lisbon versus $91 in Alba. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $272 vs $416 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇮🇹 Alba

🕒 Local time

20:26 8:26 PM

21:26 9:26 PM

1 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

29,910

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Lisbon Alba 1,570 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Alba

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

Lisbon vs Alba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Lisbon is pricier by about 35%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,315 per month in Lisbon and $2,460 in Alba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Alba, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $548 there versus $1,608 in Lisbon.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Lisbon and $91 in Alba. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 35% cheaper in Lisbon – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,210 in Lisbon and $1,640 in Alba, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Lisbon has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,640 in Alba to $2,210 in Lisbon. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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