Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Marbella Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Marbella

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,217 in Lisbon versus $1,581 in Marbella.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,245 in Lisbon versus $2,326 in Marbella.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,272 in Lisbon versus $3,071 in Marbella.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 40% more expensive than in Marbella, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 66% above, Marbella 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.78 €13.77

$13.83 €12.07

14.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.5 €54.5

$58.3 €50.9

7.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 €9.19

$10.59 €9.24

-0.47%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.41

$2.13 €1.86

30.05%

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

$2.28 €1.99

$2.05 €1.79

11.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.79 €1.56

-13.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.55 €3.09

$2.32 €2.03

53.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 €3.47

$3.38 €2.95

17.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.14 €0.99

-5.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.54

$1.56 €1.36

13.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 €1.54

$1.14 €0.99

55.26%

Eggs

$3.12 €2.72

$3.47 €3.03

-10.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.34 €11.64

$13.20 €11.52

1.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.98

$9.30 €8.11

-14.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.92 €13.89

$17.63 €15.38

-9.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.99

$2.49 €2.17

-8.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.43

$1.74 €1.52

-5.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.07 €0.94

85.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 €2.14

$1.87 €1.63

31.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.54

$1.80 €1.57

-1.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.72

$1.18 €1.03

66.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.72

$1.15 €1.00

71.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.70

$0.61 €0.53

31.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.54 €5.70

$6.62 €5.78

-1.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.75 €5.01

$11.65 €10.16

-50.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 €1.15

$1.38 €1.20

-4.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 €2.60

$2.17 €1.90

37.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.34 €2.04

$2.03 €1.77

15.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.85 €40.01

$33.59 €29.31

36.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.26 €3.71

$2.30 €2.01

85.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 €0.74

$2.57 €2.25

-67.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.86 €16.45

$13.73 €11.98

37.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.81

$1.77 €1.55

16.95%

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

$35.2K €30.8K

$39.1K €34.1K

-9.90%

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

$38.6K €33.7K

$30.3K €26.5K

27.30%

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

$151 €132

$107 €93.3

41.27%

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

$20.91 €18.24

$23.92 €20.87

-12.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.54 €34.50

$32.99 €28.78

19.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.39 €42.22

$50.2 €43.83

-3.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.61 €16.24

$15.00 €13.09

24.07%

Cinema Ticket

$9.04 €7.89

$9.13 €7.97

-0.99%

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

$610 €532

$381 €333

60.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.2K

$6,561 €5,724

148.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €88.3

$84.0 €73.3

20.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.58 €35.41

$41.73 €36.41

-2.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.0 €81.2

$75.3 €65.7

23.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$107 €93.5

10.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,603 €1,398

$847 €739

89.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,239 €1,081

$695 €606

78.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,019 €2,634

$1,334 €1,164

126.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,061 €1,798

$1,019 €889

102.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,981 €6,963

$7,183 €6,267

11.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,533 €3,955

$5,041 €4,399

-10.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,628 €1,421

$2,402 €2,095

-32.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.51

8.55%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 15, 2026

Last update for Marbella: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,603 in Lisbon and $847 in Marbella. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Marbella pays 48% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $58.0 in Marbella. Groceries flip the comparison at $268 vs $275, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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 Marbella: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Marbella differ by about 40% in total monthly costs ($2,217 vs $1,581 including rent). Marbella is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 48% lower in Marbella. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,603 in Lisbon versus $847 in Marbella. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $610 in Lisbon versus $381 in Marbella. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,581 in Marbella versus $2,217 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Marbella but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Marbella the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Marbella are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Marbella gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.