Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Alhambra, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,206 a month against $3,562 in Alhambra, CA, rent and utilities included – about $16,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

106

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
170

Cost of Living Index in Alhambra, CA
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Alhambra, CA Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,206

/mo nomad

Alhambra, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,562

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Alhambra, CA

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 Alhambra, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,206 in Lisbon versus $3,562 in Alhambra, CA.

Lisbon $2,206
Alhambra, CA $3,562

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,276 in Lisbon versus $4,758 in Alhambra, CA.

Lisbon $3,276
Alhambra, CA $4,758

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $5,954 in Alhambra, CA.

Lisbon $4,346
Alhambra, CA $5,954

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 38% less than in Alhambra, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 63% above, Alhambra, CA 163% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.86 €15.08

$25.15 $25.15

-32.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.0 €54.6

$78.1 $78.1

-21.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.98 €9.82

$14.78 $14.78

-25.71%

Cappuccino

$3.05 €2.73

$5.81 $5.81

-47.50%

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

$2.28 €2.04

$3.02 $3.02

-24.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 €1.50

$2.45 $2.45

-31.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.44 €3.07

$7.27 $7.27

-52.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.49

$9.82 $9.82

-60.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.03

$1.36 $1.36

-15.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 €1.69

$5.04 $5.04

-62.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.34

$4.79 $4.79

-68.68%

Eggs

$4.12 €3.68

$5.99 $5.99

-31.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.01 €11.63

$11.19 $11.19

16.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.04 €7.19

$8.86 $8.86

-9.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.89 €16.00

$20.07 $20.07

-10.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 €2.03

$4.78 $4.78

-52.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.56

$2.27 $2.27

-23.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 €1.63

$3.99 $3.99

-54.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.69 €2.40

$5.42 $5.42

-50.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.58

$3.37 $3.37

-47.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 €1.73

$3.04 $3.04

-36.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 €1.31

$2.03 $2.03

-28.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 €0.68

$2.84 $2.84

-73.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.66 €5.95

$11.73 $11.73

-43.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.64 €5.04

$14.88 $14.88

-62.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.15

$2.43 $2.43

-46.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.91

$2.73 $2.73

-21.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.30 €2.06

$1.80 $1.80

27.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.02 €39.36

$108 $108

-59.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.98 €3.56

$3.03 $3.03

31.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 €0.57

$1.90 $1.90

-66.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.93 €16.92

$32.50 $32.50

-41.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.03

$1.54 $1.54

48.05%

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

$33.4K €29.8K

$35.3K $35.3K

-5.46%

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

$38.5K €34.4K

$26.0K $26.0K

47.93%

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

$158 €141

$303 $303

-47.78%

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

$17.54 €15.68

$78.5 $78.5

-77.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.18 €27.89

$72.8 $72.8

-57.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.64 €39.92

$20.29 $20.29

120.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.98 €16.97

$15.88 $15.88

19.52%

Cinema Ticket

$9.58 €8.56

$19.65 $19.65

-51.25%

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

$674 €602

$1,168 $1,168

-42.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.7K €16.7K

$12.8K $12.8K

46.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.4

$63.1 $63.1

61.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.90 €41.04

$47.18 $47.18

-2.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €91.4

$105 $105

-2.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €109

$104 $104

16.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 €1,467

$2,264 $2,264

-27.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 €1,062

$1,952 $1,952

-39.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,825 €2,526

$3,014 $3,014

-6.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,018 €1,805

$2,530 $2,530

-20.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,836 €7,007

$7,104 $7,104

10.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,701 €4,204

$5,857 $5,857

-19.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,687 €1,508

$4,924 $4,924

-65.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.82

6.31

-39.46%

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

Last update for Lisbon: November 1, 2026

Last update for Alhambra, CA: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Alhambra, CA

$2K 54.8% 64.4% $765

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$275 12.5%

Alhambra, CA

$432 12.1% 57.2% $157

Eating Out

Lisbon

$245 11.1%

Alhambra, CA

$393 11% 60.3% $148

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$207 9.4%

Alhambra, CA

$454 12.8% 120% $247

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$168 7.6%

Alhambra, CA

$144 4% 14% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Alhambra, CA

$60 1.7% 6.6% $4.2

Getting Around

Lisbon

$60 2.7%

Alhambra, CA

$128 3.6% 112% $67

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,641 in Lisbon and $2,264 in Alhambra, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alhambra, CA pays about 2.9 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $61 in Lisbon vs $78 in Alhambra, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $432 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇺🇸 Alhambra, CA

🕒 Local time

15:44 3:44 PM

07:44 7:44 AM

8 h behind Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

83,089

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Lisbon Alhambra, CA 9,110 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Alhambra, CA

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 Alhambra, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,206 in Lisbon and $3,562 in Alhambra, CA, so Lisbon is about 38% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 66% lower in Lisbon. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,641 in Lisbon versus $2,264 in Alhambra, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 57% higher in Alhambra, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Lisbon – a meal for two runs $61 versus $78 in Alhambra, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,206 in Lisbon versus $3,562 in Alhambra, CA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Alhambra, CA. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Lisbon is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Alhambra, CA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Alhambra, CA are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Alhambra, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.