Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Benalmadena Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Benalmadena

Name: Benalmadena
Address: Benalmadena, ES

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,210 per month in Lisbon vs $1,865 in Benalmadena, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,311 per month in Lisbon vs $2,812 in Benalmadena, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,411 per month in Lisbon vs $3,758 in Benalmadena, rent included.

Lisbon costs about 18% more than Benalmadena, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Lisbon and Benalmadena sit above the global median – Lisbon by 65%, Benalmadena by 39%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$14.04 €12.09

13.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$54.2 €46.64

19.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$9.15 €7.88

14.86%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.35 €2.03

22.13%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$2.28 €1.96

-1.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$1.88 €1.62

-20.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$3.26 €2.81

7.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$4.35 €3.75

-10.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.22 €1.05

-6.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.57 €1.35

11.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.87 €1.61

-5.88%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$3.32 €2.86

-3.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.62

$15.34 €13.21

-12.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$9.39 €8.09

-15.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$17.79 €15.32

-10.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.56 €2.20

-9.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$2.17 €1.87

-21.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.72 €1.48

16.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.75 €2.37

-10.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.81 €1.56

1.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$2.12 €1.83

-5.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.48 €1.28

30.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.77 €0.66

2.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$6.29 €5.42

5.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$5.91 €5.09

-3.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.31 €1.13

4.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.33 €2.00

27.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.01 €1.73

17.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.23

$34.74 €29.91

31.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$4.61 €3.97

-6.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.09 €0.94

-24.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$24.36 €20.97

-24.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.81 €1.56

13.81%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$38.0K €32.7K

-9.72%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$31.8K €27.3K

23.74%

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

$148 €127

$138 €119

6.95%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$17.61 €15.16

16.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.11

$36.81 €31.70

7.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.20

$47.89 €41.24

-0.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$15.02 €12.93

25.97%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$9.38 €8.08

-2.13%

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

$614 €529

$463 €399

32.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$8,835 €7,608

81.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$85.3 €73.5

22.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.22

$41.91 €36.09

0.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$91.8 €79.0

2.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$116 €100

2.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,402

$1,006 €867

61.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$906 €780

38.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$1,849 €1,592

63.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,740

$1,596 €1,374

26.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,716

$4,393 €3,783

77.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,679

$3,743 €3,223

14.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,381

$4,088 €3,520

-60.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.46

10.12%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Benalmadena: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,628 in Lisbon versus $1,006 in Benalmadena. 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 155% higher in Benalmadena, 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 $65.0 in Lisbon versus $54.0 in Benalmadena. Groceries tell a different story – $269 in Lisbon vs $289 in Benalmadena – so Lisbon wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Benalmadena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Lisbon is pricier by about 18%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,315 per month in Lisbon and $2,798 in Benalmadena. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Benalmadena, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 7% cheaper in Lisbon – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65.0 in Lisbon and $54.0 in Benalmadena. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Benalmadena, where all-in costs run around $1,865, than in Lisbon at $2,210. In Benalmadena it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Benalmadena – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Benalmadena. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lisbon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.