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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,859 in Valencia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $2,660 in Valencia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $3,461 in Valencia.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 19% more expensive than Valencia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Valencia 39% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$15.26 €13.13

4.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$56.9 €48.97

13.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$12.82 €11.04

-18.02%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.56 €2.20

12.11%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$2.49 €2.15

-10.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.01 €1.73

-25.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$3.41 €2.93

2.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$3.39 €2.92

14.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.12 €0.97

1.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.30 €1.12

34.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.73 €1.49

1.73%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.94 €2.53

9.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$11.31 €9.73

19.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$8.38 €7.21

-5.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$13.86 €11.93

14.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.56 €2.20

-9.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.77 €1.53

-3.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.06 €1.77

-2.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.35 €2.02

4.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.83 €1.58

0.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.97 €1.70

1.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.65 €1.42

16.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.71 €0.61

11.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$6.50 €5.59

1.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$5.84 €5.02

-2.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.54 €1.33

-11.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.99 €1.71

49.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.70 €1.46

39.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.22

$33.29 €28.66

36.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$3.57 €3.07

20.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.25 €1.07

-34.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$24.91 €21.45

-26.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.74 €1.50

18.39%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

-0.11%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$33.1K €28.5K

18.87%

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

$148 €127

$144 €124

2.84%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$13.62 €11.72

50.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.10

$29.97 €25.80

32.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.19

$41.51 €35.74

15.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$13.13 €11.31

44.10%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$9.95 €8.57

-7.74%

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

$614 €529

$592 €510

3.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$11.8K €10.1K

36.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$103 €89.0

1.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.21

$37.03 €31.88

13.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$101 €87.3

-7.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$127 €109

-5.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,401

$1,209 €1,041

34.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$922 €794

36.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$2,004 €1,725

51.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,739

$1,352 €1,164

49.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,715

$5,831 €5,020

33.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,678

$3,606 €3,104

18.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,380

$1,964 €1,691

-18.35%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Valencia: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $1,209 in Valencia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Valencia pays 22% 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 $57.0 in Valencia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $252 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 19% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,859 including rent). Valencia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Valencia earns 22% 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 $1,209 in Valencia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $592 in Valencia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,859 in Valencia versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $3,000 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 19% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.