Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Motril Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Motril

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $1,461 in Motril.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $2,185 in Motril.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $2,909 in Motril.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 59% more expensive than in Motril, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 69% above, Motril 6% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.89

$14.17 €12.19

22.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$47.12 €40.55

34.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.80

$7.18 €6.18

58.64%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.75

$1.92 €1.65

66.15%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$2.16 €1.85

13.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$1.18 €1.02

49.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$3.08 €2.65

16.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$3.45 €2.97

-1.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.14 €0.98

8.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.71 €1.47

15.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.64 €1.41

-7.32%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.48

$3.46 €2.98

16.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.65

$13.98 €12.03

-3.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.22

$4.73 €4.07

77.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.70

$16.45 €14.15

10.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$2.27 €1.95

0.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$2.08 €1.79

-16.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$2.62 €2.25

0.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.71 €1.47

12.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$2.10 €1.81

-0.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.57 €1.35

-8.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$0.76 €0.66

10.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$6.71 €5.77

1.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$6.20 €5.33

-7.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.17 €1.00

17.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$2.04 €1.76

8.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$1.64 €1.41

46.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.25

$36.45 €31.37

28.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$1.74 €1.50

139.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.09 €0.94

4.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.21

$15.18 €13.07

16.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.73 €1.49

34.10%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$26.8K €23.0K

31.99%

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

$41.4K €35.7K

$30.4K €26.1K

36.53%

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

$170 €147

$82.5 €71.0

106.39%

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

$19.34 €16.64

$16.14 €13.89

19.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.95

$23.36 €20.10

44.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.39

$53.2 €45.78

-9.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.12

$16.57 €14.26

20.10%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.54

$6.87 €5.91

44.40%

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

$717 €617

$255 €220

181.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$8,258 €7,106

111.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$34.97 €30.09

199.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.40

$28.93 €24.89

62.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.0

$80.1 €69.0

29.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$46.80 €40.27

164.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,443

$915 €788

83.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,094

$713 €613

78.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,568

$1,403 €1,207

112.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,715

$1,047 €901

90.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,734

$3,417 €2,941

129.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,008

$2,289 €1,970

103.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,362

$1,736 €1,494

-8.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

26.33%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Motril: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $915 in Motril. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Motril pays 10% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $47.00 in Motril for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $255 per month, with Motril cheaper across the board.

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 Motril: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Motril differ by about 59% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $1,461 including rent). Motril is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 10% lower in Motril. 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: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $915 in Motril. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $717 in Lisbon versus $255 in Motril. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,461 in Motril versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Motril but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Motril 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 Motril 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 Motril gentler on the wallet – expenses run 59% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.