Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Valencia Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Valencia

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $746 in Valencia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,259 in Valencia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,772 in Valencia.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 207% more expensive than in Valencia, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Valencia is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$5.88 VES 4,323

175.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$51.0 VES 37.5K

24.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$10.02 VES 7,364

2.99%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$2.53 VES 1,861

11.86%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$1.27 VES 935

80.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.97 VES 716

62.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$1.28 VES 938

165.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$2.01 VES 1,481

100.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.90 VES 1,396

-42.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.27 VES 932

37.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.22 VES 899

44.26%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.05 VES 1,507

54.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$5.91 VES 4,341

123.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$6.81 VES 5,005

17.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$6.89 VES 5,068

125.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$5.32 VES 3,912

-55.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.31 VES 960

30.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.94 VES 1,426

3.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$2.07 VES 1,523

17.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.71 VES 1,990

-35.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.03 VES 1,494

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.35 VES 991

42.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.78 VES 1,311

-52.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$2.54 VES 1,866

159.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$9.84 VES 7,236

-43.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.41 VES 1,036

-5.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.03 VES 1,493

46.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.29 VES 212

686.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

$35.99 VES 26.5K

27.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$3.30 VES 2,425

28.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$2.21 VES 1,621

-63.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$3.97 VES 2,921

364.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$0.52 VES 380

300.00%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$25.1K VES 18.5M

38.00%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$39.6K VES 29.1M

-1.21%

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

$148 €130

$20.25 VES 14.9K

631.11%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$7.91 VES 5,813

158.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$37.93 VES 27.9K

4.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$35.34 VES 26.0K

35.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

$30.58 VES 22.5K

-39.18%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$5.14 VES 3,777

79.38%

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

$616 €539

$76.5 VES 56.2K

705.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$2,968 VES 2.2M

454.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$34.72 VES 25.5K

195.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$33.11 VES 24.3K

26.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$71.5 VES 52.5K

32.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$69.2 VES 50.9K

76.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$141 VES 103.5K

1059.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$121 VES 88.9K

918.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$271 VES 198.9K

1044.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$241 VES 177.3K

742.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

$559 VES 411.0K

1300.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

$318 VES 233.8K

1279.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

$205 VES 150.9K

682.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

21.33

-82.14%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Valencia: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $141 in Valencia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 683% 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 $51.0 in Valencia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $240 per month, with Valencia 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 Valencia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Valencia differ by about 207% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $746 including rent). Valencia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 683% 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $141 in Valencia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $76.5 in Valencia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $746 in Valencia versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Valencia but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Valencia 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 Valencia 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 Valencia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 207% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.