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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,413 in Murcia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $2,176 in Murcia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $2,939 in Murcia.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 62% more expensive than in Murcia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Murcia 6% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$14.95 €13.09

8.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$51.5 €45.13

22.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$12.26 €10.73

-15.82%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$2.16 €1.90

31.02%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$2.00 €1.75

14.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$1.56 €1.36

1.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$2.28 €2.00

49.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$3.54 €3.10

13.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$1.17 €1.02

-6.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.36 €1.19

28.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.48 €1.30

18.92%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.94 €2.58

7.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$11.16 €9.78

18.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$8.46 €7.41

-5.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$14.00 €12.26

10.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$2.67 €2.34

-11.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.57 €1.37

8.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.57 €1.37

28.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$2.36 €2.06

2.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.74 €1.52

1.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.90 €1.67

6.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.36 €1.19

41.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.71 €0.62

19.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$5.72 €5.01

15.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$6.12 €5.36

-8.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.21 €1.06

9.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$1.71 €1.50

73.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$1.54 €1.35

48.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$35.12 €30.76

30.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$3.39 €2.96

24.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.98 €0.86

-17.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$24.84 €21.75

-25.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.78 €1.56

16.85%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$34.4K €30.2K

0.68%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$29.7K €26.0K

31.65%

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

$148 €130

$131 €115

12.86%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$13.66 €11.97

49.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$28.13 €24.64

40.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$39.97 €35.01

20.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

$16.16 €14.15

15.10%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$8.17 €7.15

12.85%

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

$616 €540

$413 €362

49.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$9,617 €8,423

70.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$70.3 €61.6

46.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$37.85 €33.15

10.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$98.9 €86.6

-4.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$119 €104

2.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$732 €641

123.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$548 €480

124.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$1,206 €1,056

156.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$900 €788

125.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$3,280 €2,872

138.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$1,521 €1,332

188.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$2,085 €1,826

-22.91%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Murcia: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $732 in Murcia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Murcia pays 30% 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 $52.0 in Murcia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $246 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 62% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,413 including rent). Murcia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 30% lower in Murcia. 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $732 in Murcia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $413 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 $1,413 in Murcia versus $2,291 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 62% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.