Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Manresa

For one person, living is cheaper in Manresa: $1,259 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon, Portugal
Manresa, Spain
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Manresa
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,259
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Manresa

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,259 in Manresa.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • Manresa $1,259

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $2,003 in Manresa.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • Manresa $2,003

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $2,747 in Manresa.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • Manresa $2,747

Living in Lisbon is roughly 76% more expensive than in Manresa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 62% above, Manresa is 8% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Manresa
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.92
$8.85 €7.93
88.14%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.3
$34.19 €30.63
80.58%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.18
$7.62 €6.83
49.08%
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.66
$1.85 €1.66
60.54%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.05
$2.11 €1.89
8.53%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.56
$1.20 €1.07
45.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.05
$2.22 €1.99
53.15%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.97
$2.28 €2.05
45.18%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Manresa
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.04
$1.15 €1.03
0.87%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.71
$1.25 €1.12
52.80%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.36
$0.93 €0.84
62.37%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.60
$3.05 €2.74
31.80%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.59
$11.15 €10.00
16.05%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.97
$8.28 €7.42
-6.16%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.92
$8.92 €7.99
99.10%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.06
$1.88 €1.69
22.34%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.55
$1.81 €1.62
-4.42%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.66
$1.66 €1.49
12.05%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.32
$2.50 €2.24
3.60%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.63
$1.10 €0.98
65.45%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$1.33 €1.19
48.12%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.32
$1.37 €1.23
7.30%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$0.33 €0.29
118.18%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.90
$5.50 €4.93
19.64%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.02
$5.50 €4.93
2.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$0.64 €0.58
112.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.91
$0.86 €0.77
148.84%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Manresa
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 €2.09
$2.22 €1.99
4.95%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.68 €40.04
$22.24 €19.93
100.90%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.85 €3.45
$3.98 €3.57
-3.27%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.96
$1.49 €1.34
-28.19%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.75
$14.31 €12.82
15.02%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.97
$1.75 €1.57
25.71%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.6K
$38.1K €34.2K
-10.37%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.7K
$31.9K €28.6K
21.52%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Manresa
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €144
$115 €103
39.62%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.50
$13.72 €12.29
34.18%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.34
$25.69 €23.02
27.44%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Manresa
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €39.92
$48.08 €43.09
-7.34%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.11
$15.64 €14.01
22.12%
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.60
$7.46 €6.68
28.69%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Manresa
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €598
$564 €506
18.32%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.8K
$9,912 €8,882
77.71%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Manresa
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.4
$62.6 €56.1
63.08%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.85
$21.48 €19.25
106.98%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €88.3
$114 €102
-13.75%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$154 €138
-19.89%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Manresa
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 €1,441
$887 €795
81.30%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,066
$483 €433
146.48%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,812 €2,520
$1,335 €1,196
110.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,013 €1,804
$1,029 €922
95.59%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,839 €7,025
$3,239 €2,902
142.03%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,576 €4,100
$2,208 €1,978
107.25%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Manresa
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,411
$1,924 €1,724
-18.14%
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 Manresa: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Manresa
$483 59.4% $707
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
Manresa
$212 22.1% $60
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
Manresa
$145 40.3% $98
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
Manresa
$155 27.1% $57
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Manresa
$159 4.3% $7.2
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Manresa
$63 1.2% $0.7
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Manresa
$43 32.6% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $887 in Manresa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manresa pays 22% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $34 in Manresa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $212 per month, with Manresa cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇪🇸 Manresa
🕒 Local time
04:04 4:04 AM
05:04 5:04 AM
1 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
78,877
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Manresa 990 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Manresa

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 Manresa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Manresa?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $1,259 in Manresa, so Manresa is about 43% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 18% 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Lisbon and in Manresa?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $887 in Manresa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Lisbon and Manresa?
Childcare runs $668 in Lisbon versus $564 in Manresa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is feasible on a $1,000 budget?
Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Manresa is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Manresa?
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.
Is Lisbon or Manresa safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Manresa are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Where should expats move: Lisbon or Manresa?
Expats usually find Manresa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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