Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Benidorm

For one person, living is cheaper in Benidorm: $1,707 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon, Portugal
Benidorm, Spain
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Benidorm
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,707
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Benidorm

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

A single person spends $2,210 per month in Lisbon vs $1,707 in Benidorm, rent included.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • Benidorm $1,707

A couple spends around $3,275 per month in Lisbon vs $2,498 in Benidorm, rent included.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • Benidorm $2,498

A family of three spends $4,341 per month in Lisbon vs $3,290 in Benidorm, rent included.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • Benidorm $3,290

Lisbon costs about 29% more than Benidorm, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Lisbon and Benidorm sit above the global median – Lisbon by 62%, Benidorm by 25%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Benidorm
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.92
$17.28 €15.49
-3.65%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.3
$52.9 €47.44
16.62%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.18
$12.28 €11.00
-7.49%
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.66
$2.32 €2.08
28.02%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.05
$2.29 €2.05
-
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.56
$1.18 €1.06
47.46%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.05
$3.41 €3.06
-0.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.97
$3.67 €3.29
-9.81%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Benidorm
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.04
$1.14 €1.02
1.75%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.71
$1.30 €1.16
46.92%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.36
$1.41 €1.26
7.09%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.60
$3.50 €3.14
14.86%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.59
$10.98 €9.84
17.85%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.97
$8.10 €7.26
-4.07%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.92
$15.68 €14.05
13.27%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.06
$2.10 €1.88
9.52%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.55
$1.83 €1.64
-5.46%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.66
$1.92 €1.72
-3.12%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.32
$2.66 €2.38
-2.63%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.63
$1.72 €1.54
5.81%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$1.77 €1.59
11.30%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.32
$1.10 €0.99
33.64%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$0.44 €0.39
63.64%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.90
$5.96 €5.34
10.40%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.02
$5.73 €5.13
-2.09%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$0.87 €0.78
56.32%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.91
$0.94 €0.84
127.66%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Benidorm
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 €2.09
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.68 €40.04
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.85 €3.45
$4.50 €4.03
-14.44%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.96
$1.35 €1.21
-20.74%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.75
$24.26 €21.74
-32.15%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.97
$1.72 €1.54
27.91%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.6K
$34.2K €30.6K
0.03%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.7K
$29.3K €26.3K
32.14%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Benidorm
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €144
$157 €141
2.60%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.50
$16.38 €14.67
12.39%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.34
$22.55 €20.21
45.19%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Benidorm
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €39.92
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.11
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.60
$10.78 €9.66
-10.95%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Benidorm
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €598
$575 €515
16.08%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.8K
$9,688 €8,682
81.81%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Benidorm
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.4
$91.2 €81.7
11.93%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.85
$42.40 €37.99
4.86%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €88.3
$96.1 €86.2
2.47%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$119 €106
4.35%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Benidorm
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 €1,441
$1,002 €898
60.44%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,066
$838 €751
42.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,812 €2,520
$1,766 €1,582
59.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,013 €1,804
$1,324 €1,186
52.07%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,839 €7,025
$5,197 €4,657
50.82%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,576 €4,100
$2,542 €2,278
79.99%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Benidorm
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,411
$1,785 €1,599
-11.76%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
3.3
16.67%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Benidorm: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Benidorm
$838 29.6% $353
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
Benidorm
$243 10.8% $29
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
Benidorm
$241 0.6% $1.4
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
Benidorm
$196 7.7% $16
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Benidorm
$157 5.6% $9.2
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Benidorm
$22 * 66.2% $42
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Benidorm
$11 * 82.2% $52

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,608 in Lisbon versus $1,002 in Benidorm. 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 13% higher in Benidorm, 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 $62 in Lisbon versus $53 in Benidorm. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $272 vs $243 – making Benidorm the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇪🇸 Benidorm
🕒 Local time
07:31 7:31 AM
08:31 8:31 AM
1 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
72,342
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Benidorm 780 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Benidorm

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 Benidorm: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Benidorm cheaper than Lisbon?
Yes – Lisbon is pricier by about 29%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,315 per month in Lisbon and $2,561 in Benidorm. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Benidorm, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,002 there versus $1,608 in Lisbon.
What are total monthly expenses in Lisbon and in Benidorm?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $1,707 in Benidorm. That makes Benidorm about 23% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $668 per month in Lisbon and $575 in Benidorm. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $2,500 enough for either Lisbon or Benidorm?
$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,210 in Lisbon and $1,707 in Benidorm, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is Lisbon or Benidorm more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Benidorm – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Lisbon or Benidorm?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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