Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Torrevieja Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Torrevieja

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,396 in Torrevieja.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $2,119 in Torrevieja.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $2,841 in Torrevieja.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 58% more expensive than Torrevieja, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Torrevieja 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$17.63 €15.18

-9.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$46.10 €39.69

40.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$11.49 €9.89

-8.53%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.22 €1.91

29.28%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$1.90 €1.64

17.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$1.62 €1.40

-7.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$2.64 €2.28

46.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.18 €1.01

-3.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.82 €1.56

-3.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.29 €1.11

36.43%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$3.18 €2.73

1.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.62

$13.08 €11.27

3.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$6.83 €5.88

15.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$16.07 €13.84

-1.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.19 €1.88

5.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.62 €1.39

4.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.49 €1.28

34.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.17 €1.87

13.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.15 €0.99

60.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.66 €1.43

20.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.35 €1.17

42.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.50 €0.43

58.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$6.21 €5.34

6.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$4.60 €3.96

24.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$0.92 €0.79

48.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.49 €1.29

99.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.78 €1.53

33.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.23

$22.83 €19.66

99.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$4.59 €3.95

-6.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.25 €1.08

-34.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$34.26 €29.50

-46.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.82 €1.57

13.19%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$38.6K €33.3K

-11.24%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$34.8K €30.0K

12.90%

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

$148 €127

$109 €94.0

35.52%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$16.00 €13.77

28.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.11

$24.01 €20.68

64.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.20

$51.0 €43.87

-6.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$7.51 €6.46

151.93%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$11.74 €10.11

-21.81%

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

$614 €529

$420 €361

46.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$7,003 €6,030

129.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$51.0 €43.93

105.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.22

$32.94 €28.36

27.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$74.4 €64.1

26.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$73.6 €63.4

62.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,402

$657 €565

147.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$582 €501

115.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$1,237 €1,065

144.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,740

$928 €799

117.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,716

$3,036 €2,614

156.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,679

$2,796 €2,407

52.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,381

$1,965 €1,692

-18.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.5

8.86%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Torrevieja: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $657 in Torrevieja. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Torrevieja pays 23% 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 $46.00 in Torrevieja for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $242 per month, with Torrevieja 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 Torrevieja: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Torrevieja differ by about 58% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,396 including rent). Torrevieja is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Torrevieja earns 23% 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 $657 in Torrevieja. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $420 in Torrevieja. 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 $1,396 in Torrevieja versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Torrevieja but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Torrevieja 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 Torrevieja 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 Torrevieja gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.