Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Alcala la Real

For one person, living is cheaper in Alcala la Real: $1,570 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Alcala la Real
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Alcala la Real Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Alcala la Real

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,570

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Alcala la Real

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 Alcala la Real actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,570 in Alcala la Real.

Lisbon $2,210
Alcala la Real $1,570

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $2,345 in Alcala la Real.

Lisbon $3,275
Alcala la Real $2,345

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $3,120 in Alcala la Real.

Lisbon $4,341
Alcala la Real $3,120

Living in Lisbon is roughly 41% more expensive than in Alcala la Real, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Alcala la Real 15% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.91

$13.35 €11.95

24.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.3

$66.1 €59.2

-6.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.17

$8.95 €8.01

26.93%

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.66

$1.87 €1.67

58.82%

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

$2.29 €2.05

$2.05 €1.83

11.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.56

$1.55 €1.38

12.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.05

$2.97 €2.66

14.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.96

$3.30 €2.96

0.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.04

$1.14 €1.02

1.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.71

$1.61 €1.44

18.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.35

$1.56 €1.39

-3.21%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.60

$3.38 €3.02

18.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.59

$13.61 €12.19

-4.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.96

$8.31 €7.44

-6.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.91

$16.36 €14.66

8.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.06

$2.33 €2.08

-1.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.55

$1.98 €1.77

-12.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.66

$1.80 €1.61

3.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.32

$2.56 €2.30

1.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.63

$1.80 €1.62

1.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$2.04 €1.83

-3.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

$1.49 €1.34

-1.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

$0.76 €0.68

-5.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.90

$6.56 €5.87

0.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.02

$5.74 €5.14

-2.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

$1.15 €1.03

18.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.91

$1.95 €1.74

9.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.09

$1.68 €1.50

38.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.01

$31.99 €28.65

39.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.45

$1.67 €1.50

130.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

$1.10 €0.99

-2.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.74

$14.79 €13.24

11.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.97

$1.81 €1.62

21.55%

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

$34.2K €30.6K

$32.3K €28.9K

5.78%

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

$38.7K €34.7K

$30.7K €27.5K

26.30%

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

$161 €144

$116 €104

38.56%

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

$18.41 €16.49

$15.93 €14.27

15.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.32

$32.44 €29.06

0.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €39.90

$45.51 €40.76

-2.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.10

$15.74 €14.10

21.35%

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.60

$7.78 €6.97

23.39%

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

$668 €598

$556 €498

20.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

$7,901 €7,077

122.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.4

$91.0 €81.5

12.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.82

$40.04 €35.86

11.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.2

$96.8 €86.7

1.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$114 €102

8.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,440

$891 €798

80.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,066

$685 €613

73.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,519

$1,339 €1,200

109.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,803

$1,008 €903

99.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,021

$3,337 €2,989

134.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,098

$2,195 €1,966

108.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,411

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

3.34

15.27%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Alcala la Real: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Alcala la Real

$685 43.6% 42.5% $505

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Alcala la Real

$268 17.1% 1.6% $4.4

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

Alcala la Real

$192 12.2% 20.9% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Alcala la Real

$165 10.5% 22.4% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Alcala la Real

$154 9.8% 7.4% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Alcala la Real

$61 3.9% 4.2% $2.7

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Alcala la Real

$46 2.9% 27.4% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $891 in Alcala la Real. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $66 in Alcala la Real. Groceries flip the comparison at $272 vs $268, with Alcala la Real cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇪🇸 Alcala la Real

🕒 Local time

02:37 2:37 AM

03:37 3:37 AM

1 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

21,587

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Lisbon vs Alcala la Real: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $1,570 in Alcala la Real, so Alcala la Real is about 29% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $3,315 in Lisbon and $2,355 in Alcala la Real 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: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $891 in Alcala la Real. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $668 in Lisbon versus $556 in Alcala la Real. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Lisbon – a meal for two runs $62 versus $66 in Alcala la Real. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,570 in Alcala la Real versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Alcala la Real but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Alcala la Real 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, Lisbon and Alcala la Real are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.