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: $2,217 in Lisbon versus $843 in Alexandria.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,245 in Lisbon versus $1,411 in Alexandria.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,272 in Lisbon versus $1,980 in Alexandria.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 163% more expensive than Alexandria, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Alexandria is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.78 €13.59

$9.17 RON 41.32

72.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.5 €53.8

$33.40 RON 150

87.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 €9.07

$6.78 RON 30.55

55.46%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.38

$1.81 RON 8.15

53.04%

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

$2.28 €1.97

$1.92 RON 8.66

18.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.33

$1.64 RON 7.38

-5.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.55 €3.05

$2.37 RON 10.67

49.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 €3.43

$2.70 RON 12.17

47.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.41 RON 6.36

-23.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.22 RON 5.48

45.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.41 RON 6.35

25.53%

Eggs

$3.12 €2.69

$1.35 RON 6.06

131.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.34 €11.49

$5.22 RON 23.52

155.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.88

$4.67 RON 21.04

71.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.92 €13.70

$8.72 RON 39.26

82.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$0.91 RON 4.09

150.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.42

$1.51 RON 6.79

8.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 €1.70

$1.12 RON 5.04

76.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.13 RON 5.11

116.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.52

$0.45 RON 2.01

293.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.68 RON 3.06

189.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.70

$0.44 RON 1.98

347.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.72 RON 3.26

11.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.54 €5.63

$5.39 RON 24.29

21.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.75 €4.95

$5.49 RON 24.72

4.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 €1.13

$0.67 RON 3.02

97.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 €2.57

$0.88 RON 3.94

239.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.34 €2.01

$0.71 RON 3.19

229.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.85 €39.48

$23.24 RON 105

97.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.26 €3.66

$0.48 RON 2.16

787.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.41 RON 1.85

104.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.86 €16.24

$5.20 RON 23.41

262.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.56 RON 7.04

32.69%

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

$35.2K €30.3K

$17.9K RON 80.5K

97.21%

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

$38.6K €33.2K

$23.8K RON 107.1K

62.41%

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

$151 €130

$118 RON 532

27.90%

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

$20.91 €18.00

$7.10 RON 31.98

194.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.54 €34.05

$6.81 RON 30.66

480.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.39 €41.67

$37.31 RON 168

29.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.61 €16.02

$9.01 RON 40.57

106.55%

Cinema Ticket

$9.04 €7.79

$4.57 RON 20.59

97.81%

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

$610 €525

$423 RON 1,905

44.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$6,887 RON 31.0K

136.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €87.2

$68.7 RON 309

47.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.58 €34.94

$33.94 RON 153

19.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.0 €80.1

$69.0 RON 311

34.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$69.8 RON 314

70.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,603 €1,380

$339 RON 1,525

373.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,239 €1,067

$234 RON 1,054

429.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,019 €2,599

$803 RON 3,618

275.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,061 €1,775

$585 RON 2,637

252.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,981 €6,872

$1,306 RON 5,882

511.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,533 €3,903

$829 RON 3,734

446.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,628 €1,402

$1,375 RON 6,193

18.40%

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: June 15, 2026

Last update for Alexandria: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,603 in Lisbon and $339 in Alexandria. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 18% 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: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $33.00 in Alexandria for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 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 163% 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.

Lisbon pays 18% more on average, 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: $1,603 in Lisbon versus $339 in Alexandria. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,217 per month in Lisbon versus $843 in Alexandria – a 163% 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 $843 in Alexandria versus $2,217 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 $843 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 163% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.