Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Murcia

For one person, living is cheaper in Murcia: $1,488 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 Murcia
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Murcia Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Murcia

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,488

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Murcia

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,488 in Murcia.

Lisbon $2,210
Murcia $1,488

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $2,288 in Murcia.

Lisbon $3,275
Murcia $2,288

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $3,087 in Murcia.

Lisbon $4,341
Murcia $3,087

Living in Lisbon is roughly 48% more expensive than in Murcia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.91

$16.83 €15.08

-1.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.3

$54.8 €49.09

12.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.17

$13.56 €12.15

-16.22%

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.66

$2.42 €2.17

22.73%

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

$2.29 €2.05

$2.05 €1.84

11.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.56

$1.47 €1.32

18.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.05

$3.05 €2.74

11.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.96

$4.38 €3.92

-24.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.04

$1.23 €1.10

-5.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.71

$1.40 €1.25

36.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.35

$1.42 €1.27

6.34%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.60

$3.30 €2.95

21.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.59

$15.60 €13.97

-17.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.96

$9.58 €8.58

-18.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.91

$13.58 €12.16

30.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.06

$2.88 €2.58

-20.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.55

$1.85 €1.65

-6.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.66

$1.60 €1.43

16.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.32

$3.13 €2.81

-17.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.63

$1.94 €1.74

-6.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$1.98 €1.77

-0.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

$1.30 €1.16

13.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

$1.03 €0.92

-30.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.90

$5.61 €5.02

17.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.02

$6.04 €5.41

-7.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

$1.17 €1.04

16.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.91

$1.63 €1.46

31.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.09

$1.31 €1.17

77.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.01

$33.47 €29.98

33.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.45

$7.65 €6.85

-49.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

$1.19 €1.07

-10.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.74

$39.14 €35.05

-57.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.97

$1.66 €1.48

32.53%

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

$34.2K €30.6K

$35.2K €31.5K

-2.93%

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

$38.7K €34.7K

$30.8K €27.6K

25.71%

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

$161 €144

$133 €119

21.28%

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

$18.41 €16.49

$15.84 €14.18

16.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.32

$26.12 €23.39

25.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €39.90

$38.37 €34.37

16.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.10

$19.66 €17.61

-2.85%

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.60

$9.81 €8.79

-2.14%

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

$668 €598

$392 €351

70.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

$7,100 €6,359

148.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.4

$71.5 €64.0

42.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.82

$37.75 €33.81

17.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.2

$102 €91.1

-3.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$120 €108

2.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,440

$812 €728

97.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,066

$535 €479

122.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,519

$1,240 €1,111

126.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,803

$901 €807

123.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,021

$3,092 €2,769

153.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,098

$1,522 €1,363

200.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,411

$1,974 €1,768

-20.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

3.18

21.07%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Murcia: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Murcia

$535 35.9% 55% $655

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Murcia

$277 18.6% 1.6% $4.2

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

Murcia

$243 16.3% 0% $0.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Murcia

$175 11.8% 17.6% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Murcia

$149 10% 10.1% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Murcia

$58 3.9% 9% $5.7

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Murcia

$52 3.5% 17.2% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $812 in Murcia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Murcia pays 25% 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 $55 in Murcia. Groceries flip the comparison at $272 vs $277, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇪🇸 Murcia

🕒 Local time

22:14 10:14 PM

23:14 11:14 PM

1 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

469,177

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Lisbon Murcia 700 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Murcia

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 Murcia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $1,488 in Murcia, so Murcia is about 33% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 20% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $812 in Murcia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Murcia runs roughly 25% less than in Lisbon. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

All in, you’ll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $1,488 in Murcia – Murcia is about 33% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,488 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 both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.