Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Alexandria Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Alexandria

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $847 in Alexandria.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,411 in Alexandria.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $1,975 in Alexandria.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 169% more expensive than in Alexandria, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Alexandria is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.64

$9.27 RON 42.12

69.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.0

$32.98 RON 150

92.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.05

$6.86 RON 31.17

52.33%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.52

$1.87 RON 8.48

55.61%

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

$2.29 €1.98

$1.94 RON 8.81

18.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$1.65 RON 7.50

-9.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$2.37 RON 10.75

50.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.43

$2.84 RON 12.92

39.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.39 RON 6.34

-22.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.21 RON 5.49

45.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$1.41 RON 6.41

20.57%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.81

$1.35 RON 6.14

140.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.47

$5.41 RON 24.58

144.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.67

$4.53 RON 20.60

69.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.66

$8.83 RON 40.13

78.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$0.89 RON 4.03

156.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$1.56 RON 7.10

6.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.12 RON 5.07

80.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$1.18 RON 5.37

109.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$0.44 RON 2.02

306.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$0.71 RON 3.23

191.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$0.48 RON 2.17

310.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$0.66 RON 3.02

25.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.68

$5.44 RON 24.74

20.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.82

$5.35 RON 24.31

4.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$0.71 RON 3.22

87.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.60

$0.93 RON 4.24

223.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$0.67 RON 3.03

238.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

$23.47 RON 107

97.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.66

$0.44 RON 2.01

861.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.44 RON 2.00

93.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.31

$4.99 RON 22.69

277.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.57 RON 7.16

28.66%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$17.9K RON 81.6K

94.82%

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

$39.6K €34.3K

$23.6K RON 107.5K

67.69%

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

$148 €128

$119 RON 542

24.00%

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

$20.52 €17.77

$7.10 RON 32.27

189.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.23

$6.81 RON 30.98

480.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.72

$37.79 RON 172

27.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

$9.06 RON 41.17

102.98%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.88

$4.51 RON 20.50

101.77%

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

$615 €532

$428 RON 1,947

43.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$6,898 RON 31.4K

136.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$69.6 RON 317

45.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.45

$33.86 RON 154

24.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €79.9

$67.9 RON 309

36.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$69.2 RON 315

76.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,396

$343 RON 1,558

370.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,086

$232 RON 1,053

441.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,658

$821 RON 3,732

273.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,764

$576 RON 2,618

253.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,712

$1,282 RON 5,828

504.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,712

$827 RON 3,758

418.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,387

$882 RON 4,009

81.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

6.5

-41.38%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Last update for Alexandria: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $343 in Alexandria. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 82% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $33.00 in Alexandria for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $155 per month, with Alexandria 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

Lisbon vs Alexandria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alexandria wins on cost – living expenses run 169% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Alexandria the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 82% higher in Lisbon, 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: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $343 in Alexandria. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,280 per month in Lisbon versus $847 in Alexandria – a 169% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Alexandria runs roughly 97% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $847 in Alexandria versus $2,280 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Alexandria but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Alexandria the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Alexandria delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $847 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Alexandria hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Alexandria 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 Alexandria gentler on the wallet – expenses run 169% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.