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: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $839 in Valencia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,336 in Valencia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $1,834 in Valencia.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 170% more expensive than in Valencia, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Valencia is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.09

$6.07 VES 4,925

189.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.5

$34.49 VES 28.0K

86.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.01

$15.86 VES 12.9K

-26.54%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.80

$3.41 VES 2,768

-4.40%

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

$2.49 €2.14

$1.69 VES 1,375

47.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$1.29 VES 1,050

29.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$2.02 VES 1,643

71.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.07

$3.07 VES 2,493

16.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$2.12 VES 1,722

-44.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.67

$1.36 VES 1,107

43.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.34

$1.39 VES 1,125

12.23%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.45

$2.15 VES 1,746

86.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.41

$6.21 VES 5,043

113.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.24

$6.86 VES 5,565

22.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.68

$7.26 VES 5,893

151.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$5.14 VES 4,175

-54.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.45 VES 1,175

19.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.94 VES 1,572

-0.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.40 VES 1,950

10.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.63

$2.70 VES 2,190

-29.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.96 VES 1,593

7.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.93 VES 1,567

-25.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$1.85 VES 1,501

-56.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.03

$2.54 VES 2,061

175.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.09

$10.03 VES 8,141

-40.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.17

$1.34 VES 1,084

1.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.30 VES 1,863

-6.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.31 VES 254

667.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.74

$50.9 VES 41.3K

-9.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.60

$3.32 VES 2,694

26.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.94

$1.99 VES 1,612

-44.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.84

$4.08 VES 3,309

323.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.93

$0.76 VES 620

196.05%

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

$34.5K €29.6K

$30.7K VES 25.0M

12.12%

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

$41.6K €35.8K

$41.7K VES 33.9M

-0.30%

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

$171 €147

$20.06 VES 16.3K

751.84%

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

$19.01 €16.34

$8.70 VES 7,063

118.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.48

$35.77 VES 29.0K

-4.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.69

$35.96 VES 29.2K

38.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.77

$30.16 VES 24.5K

-35.31%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.68

$4.86 VES 3,945

107.82%

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

$699 €601

$75.3 VES 61.1K

828.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$2,974 VES 2.4M

497.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.9

$43.14 VES 35.0K

142.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.24

$46.47 VES 37.7K

3.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.6

$91.8 VES 74.5K

10.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €110

$47.16 VES 38.3K

172.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,428

$211 VES 171.4K

686.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,056

$138 VES 112.2K

788.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,506

$285 VES 231.0K

924.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,740

$244 VES 198.4K

727.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €6,989

$558 VES 452.9K

1356.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,985

$330 VES 268.1K

1303.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,392

$203 VES 165.2K

695.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Valencia: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $211 in Valencia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 696% 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: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $34.00 in Valencia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $251 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 170% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $839 including rent). Valencia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 696% 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $211 in Valencia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $75.3 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 $839 in Valencia versus $2,268 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 170% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.