Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Murcia Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Murcia

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,462 in Murcia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $2,162 in Murcia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $2,862 in Murcia.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 51% more expensive than Murcia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Murcia 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$15.10 €12.99

5.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$51.5 €44.29

25.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$12.25 €10.53

-14.20%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.25 €1.94

27.56%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$2.03 €1.75

10.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.51 €1.30

-0.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$2.28 €1.96

53.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$3.37 €2.90

15.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.12 €0.96

1.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.36 €1.17

28.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.45 €1.24

21.38%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.89 €2.49

11.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$11.14 €9.58

21.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$8.79 €7.56

-10.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$14.05 €12.09

12.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.62 €2.25

-11.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.51 €1.30

12.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.51 €1.30

33.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.44 €2.10

0.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.76 €1.51

4.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.98 €1.70

1.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.43 €1.23

34.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.76 €0.66

3.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$5.65 €4.86

16.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$6.23 €5.36

-8.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.20 €1.03

14.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.77 €1.52

67.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.46 €1.26

62.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$34.18 €29.40

33.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$3.57 €3.07

20.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.00 €0.86

-18.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$25.05 €21.55

-26.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.75 €1.50

17.71%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$34.0K €29.3K

0.73%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$30.7K €26.4K

28.17%

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

$148 €127

$132 €114

12.03%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$13.35 €11.49

53.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$27.70 €23.83

43.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$40.97 €35.24

16.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$16.10 €13.85

17.52%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$8.53 €7.34

7.62%

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

$614 €528

$406 €349

51.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$9,878 €8,497

62.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$68.6 €59.1

52.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$38.01 €32.70

10.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$99.5 €85.6

-5.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$118 €102

1.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$744 €640

118.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$538 €463

133.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$1,237 €1,064

144.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$873 €751

131.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$3,412 €2,935

128.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$1,584 €1,362

169.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$2,109 €1,815

-23.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.44

10.76%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Murcia: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $744 in Murcia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Murcia pays 32% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $51.0 in Murcia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $248 per month, with Murcia 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 Murcia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Murcia differ by about 51% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,462 including rent). Murcia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Murcia earns 32% less. 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $744 in Murcia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $406 in Murcia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,462 in Murcia versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Murcia but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Murcia 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 Murcia 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 Murcia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.