Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Elche

For one person, living is cheaper in Elche: $1,483 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 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
72

Cost of Living Index in Elche
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Elche Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Elche

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,483

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Elche

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,483 in Elche.

Lisbon $2,210
Elche $1,483

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $2,201 in Elche.

Lisbon $3,275
Elche $2,201

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $2,918 in Elche.

Lisbon $4,341
Elche $2,918

Living in Lisbon is roughly 49% more expensive than in Elche, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Elche 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.92

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.3

$56.2 €50.3

9.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.18

$11.17 €10.01

1.70%

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.66

$2.49 €2.23

19.28%

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

$2.29 €2.05

$2.41 €2.16

-4.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.56

$1.86 €1.66

-6.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.05

$3.25 €2.91

4.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.97

$3.30 €2.95

0.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.04

$1.11 €0.99

4.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.71

$1.62 €1.45

17.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.36

$1.55 €1.39

-2.58%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.60

$3.03 €2.72

32.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.59

$14.30 €12.81

-9.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.97

$7.91 €7.09

-1.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.92

$13.54 €12.13

31.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.06

$2.55 €2.28

-9.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.55

$1.93 €1.73

-10.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.66

$1.90 €1.70

-2.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.32

$2.42 €2.17

7.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.63

$1.74 €1.56

4.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$1.91 €1.71

3.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

$1.03 €0.93

42.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

$0.70 €0.63

2.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.90

$6.47 €5.80

1.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.02

$5.72 €5.12

-1.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

$1.06 €0.95

28.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.91

$1.03 €0.92

107.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.09

$1.42 €1.27

64.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.04

$22.72 €20.36

96.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.45

$3.09 €2.77

24.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

$0.87 €0.78

22.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.75

$16.91 €15.15

-2.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.97

$1.76 €1.58

25.00%

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

$34.2K €30.6K

$31.4K €28.1K

8.90%

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

$38.7K €34.7K

$31.8K €28.5K

21.67%

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

$161 €144

$138 €123

17.10%

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

$18.41 €16.50

$17.13 €15.35

7.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.34

$26.35 €23.61

24.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €39.92

$45.31 €40.60

-1.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.11

$11.11 €9.96

71.92%

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.60

$7.33 €6.56

30.97%

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

$668 €598

$692 €620

-3.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

$9,979 €8,942

76.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.4

$83.4 €74.7

22.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.85

$35.43 €31.75

25.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.3

$85.8 €76.9

14.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$86.9 €77.9

42.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,441

$665 €596

141.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,066

$585 €524

103.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,520

$967 €867

190.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,804

$860 €771

134.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,025

$2,033 €1,821

285.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,100

$1,481 €1,327

208.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,411

$1,599 €1,433

-1.53%

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 Elche: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Elche

$585 39.4% 50.8% $605

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Elche

$253 17.1% 7.1% $19

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

Elche

$237 16% 2.5% $6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Elche

$181 12.2% 14.7% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Elche

$131 8.9% 20.9% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Elche

$60 4% 5.9% $3.8

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Elche

$36 2.4% 43.3% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $665 in Elche. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $56 in Elche for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $253 per month, with Elche cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇪🇸 Elche

🕒 Local time

07:31 7:31 AM

08:31 8:31 AM

1 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

238,293

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Lisbon Elche 740 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Elche

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 Elche: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Elche wins on cost – living expenses run 33% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Elche the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $3,315 in Lisbon and $2,224 in Elche to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $665 in Elche. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Elche – a meal for two runs $56 versus $62 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $1,483 in Elche – Elche is about 33% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Elche is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

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

Expats usually find Elche gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.