Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Cuenca, Spain

Name: Cuenca
Address: Cuenca, ES

For one person, living is cheaper in Cuenca: $1,670 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Cuenca
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Cuenca Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Cuenca

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,670

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Cuenca

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

A single person spends $2,210 per month in Lisbon vs $1,670 in Cuenca, rent included.

Lisbon $2,210
Cuenca $1,670

A couple spends around $3,275 per month in Lisbon vs $2,437 in Cuenca, rent included.

Lisbon $3,275
Cuenca $2,437

A family of three spends $4,341 per month in Lisbon vs $3,205 in Cuenca, rent included.

Lisbon $4,341
Cuenca $3,205

Lisbon costs about 32% more than Cuenca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Lisbon and Cuenca sit above the global median – Lisbon by 62%, Cuenca by 23%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.92

$17.14 €15.36

-2.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.3

$45.51 €40.78

35.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.18

$8.98 €8.05

26.50%

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.66

$2.03 €1.82

46.31%

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

$2.29 €2.05

$2.36 €2.12

-2.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.56

$1.49 €1.34

16.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.05

$2.21 €1.98

53.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.97

$3.30 €2.96

0.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.04

$0.98 €0.88

18.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.71

$2.00 €1.79

-4.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.36

$1.55 €1.39

-2.58%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.60

$2.50 €2.24

60.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.59

$16.27 €14.58

-20.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.97

$9.38 €8.40

-17.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.92

$20.78 €18.62

-14.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.06

$2.71 €2.43

-15.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.55

$2.42 €2.17

-28.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.66

$2.58 €2.31

-27.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.32

$3.00 €2.69

-13.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.63

$2.00 €1.79

-9.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$2.19 €1.96

-10.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

$1.78 €1.60

-17.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

$0.65 €0.58

10.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.90

$6.30 €5.64

4.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.02

$4.41 €3.95

27.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

$1.00 €0.90

36.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.91

$2.19 €1.97

-2.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.09

$1.65 €1.48

41.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.04

$31.98 €28.66

39.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.45

$2.29 €2.05

68.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.75

$29.56 €26.49

-44.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.97

$1.81 €1.62

21.55%

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

$34.2K €30.6K

$35.6K €31.9K

-3.93%

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

$38.7K €34.7K

$32.0K €28.7K

20.86%

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

$161 €144

$164 €147

-1.86%

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

$18.41 €16.50

$11.56 €10.36

59.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.34

$21.65 €19.40

51.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €39.92

$39.51 €35.40

12.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.11

$15.95 €14.30

19.75%

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.60

$8.85 €7.93

8.47%

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

$668 €598

$338 €303

97.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

$8,035 €7,200

119.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.4

$91.9 €82.3

11.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.85

$39.11 €35.05

13.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.3

$98.4 €88.1

0.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$114 €102

8.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,441

$879 €788

82.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,066

$692 €620

71.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,520

$1,354 €1,213

107.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,804

$1,020 €914

97.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,025

$3,298 €2,955

137.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,100

$2,188 €1,960

109.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,411

$1,405 €1,259

12.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

3.46

11.27%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Cuenca: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Cuenca

$692 41.4% 41.9% $498

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Cuenca

$301 18% 10.5% $29

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

Cuenca

$222 13.3% 8.7% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Cuenca

$198 11.8% 7% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Cuenca

$155 9.3% 6.9% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Cuenca

$57 3.4% 10.2% $6.5

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Cuenca

$46 2.8% 26.8% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,608 in Lisbon versus $879 in Cuenca. 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 12% higher in Lisbon, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Lisbon versus $46 in Cuenca. Groceries tell a different story – $272 in Lisbon vs $301 in Cuenca – so Lisbon wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇪🇸 Cuenca

🕒 Local time

05:19 5:19 AM

06:19 6:19 AM

1 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

53,512

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Lisbon Cuenca 620 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

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Lisbon
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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 Cuenca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon, $1,670 in Cuenca – Cuenca comes out roughly 24% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,315 per month in Lisbon and $2,505 in Cuenca. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cuenca, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $879 there versus $1,608 in Lisbon.

Kindergarten costs $668 per month in Lisbon and $338 in Cuenca. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 10% cheaper in Lisbon – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,210 in Lisbon and $1,670 in Cuenca, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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