Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Roquetas de Mar Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Roquetas de Mar

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $1,326 in Roquetas de Mar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,933 in Roquetas de Mar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $2,540 in Roquetas de Mar.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 72% more expensive than in Roquetas de Mar, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Roquetas de Mar 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.64

$11.40 €9.88

38.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.0

$58.7 €50.8

8.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.05

$11.79 €10.21

-11.37%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.52

$1.65 €1.43

76.36%

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

$2.29 €1.98

$3.07 €2.66

-25.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$1.75 €1.52

-14.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$2.97 €2.58

19.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.43

$2.90 €2.51

36.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.23 €1.07

-12.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.49 €1.29

18.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$1.14 €0.99

49.12%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.81

$3.46 €3.00

-6.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.47

$9.49 €8.22

39.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.67

$7.75 €6.71

-0.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.66

$17.40 €15.07

-9.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$2.00 €1.73

14.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$1.70 €1.47

-2.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.07 €0.93

88.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$1.64 €1.42

50.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$2.33 €2.02

-23.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$1.17 €1.01

76.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$0.56 €0.48

251.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$0.64 €0.55

29.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.68

$6.85 €5.93

-4.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.82

$3.35 €2.90

66.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$1.42 €1.23

-6.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.60

$2.19 €1.90

37.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$0.41 €0.35

453.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

$34.62 €29.99

33.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.66

$3.55 €3.08

19.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$1.22 €1.06

-30.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.31

$14.00 €12.13

34.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.72 €1.49

17.44%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$39.1K €33.9K

-10.63%

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

$39.6K €34.3K

$29.9K €25.9K

32.51%

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

$148 €128

$119 €103

23.98%

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

$20.52 €17.77

$5.75 €4.98

256.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.23

$23.23 €20.12

70.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.72

$36.36 €31.49

32.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

$15.22 €13.18

20.83%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.88

$9.49 €8.22

-4.11%

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

$615 €532

$471 €408

30.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$11.1K €9,576

47.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$85.4 €74.0

18.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.45

$53.2 €46.08

-20.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €79.9

$58.9 €51.0

56.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$107 €93.0

13.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,396

$570 €494

182.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,086

$519 €450

141.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,658

$807 €699

280.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,764

$607 €526

235.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,712

$2,048 €1,774

278.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,712

$1,644 €1,423

160.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,387

$1,282 €1,110

24.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.9

-2.31%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Last update for Roquetas de Mar: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $570 in Roquetas de Mar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 25% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $59.0 in Roquetas de Mar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $235 per month, with Roquetas de Mar 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 Roquetas de Mar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Roquetas de Mar differ by about 72% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $1,326 including rent). Roquetas de Mar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 25% higher in Lisbon, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $570 in Roquetas de Mar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $471 in Roquetas de Mar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,326 in Roquetas de Mar versus $2,280 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Roquetas de Mar but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Roquetas de Mar 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 Roquetas de Mar 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 Roquetas de Mar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 72% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.