Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Valencia

For one person, living is cheaper in Valencia: $2,092 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon, Portugal
Valencia, Spain
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Valencia
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,092
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Valencia

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Valencia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $2,092 in Valencia.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • Valencia $2,092

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $3,017 in Valencia.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • Valencia $3,017

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $3,942 in Valencia.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • Valencia $3,942

Living in Lisbon is roughly 6% more expensive than in Valencia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Valencia 54% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Valencia
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.91
$18.72 €16.77
-11.06%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.3
$66.0 €59.1
-6.41%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.17
$12.11 €10.84
-6.19%
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.66
$2.72 €2.43
9.19%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.05
$2.49 €2.23
-8.03%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.56
$2.09 €1.87
-16.75%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.05
$3.32 €2.97
2.41%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.96
$4.58 €4.10
-27.73%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Valencia
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.04
$1.20 €1.08
-3.33%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.71
$1.35 €1.21
41.48%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.35
$1.78 €1.59
-15.17%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.60
$3.40 €3.04
18.24%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.59
$10.72 €9.60
20.71%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.96
$7.76 €6.95
0.13%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.91
$15.88 €14.22
11.84%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.06
$2.46 €2.20
-6.50%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.55
$1.89 €1.69
-8.47%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.66
$1.83 €1.64
1.64%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.32
$2.66 €2.38
-2.63%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.63
$1.69 €1.52
7.69%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$1.86 €1.67
5.91%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.32
$1.15 €1.03
27.83%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$0.80 €0.71
-10.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.90
$6.69 €5.99
-1.64%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.02
$5.64 €5.05
-0.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$1.34 €1.20
1.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.91
$1.64 €1.47
30.49%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Valencia
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 €2.09
$2.18 €1.95
6.88%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.68 €40.01
$38.70 €34.66
15.45%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.85 €3.45
$4.48 €4.02
-14.06%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.96
$1.28 €1.15
-16.41%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.74
$23.48 €21.03
-29.90%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.97
$1.80 €1.61
22.22%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.6K
$33.8K €30.3K
1.17%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.7K
$31.3K €28.1K
23.62%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Valencia
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €144
$155 €139
4.19%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.49
$15.96 €14.30
15.35%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.32
$33.43 €29.94
-2.06%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Valencia
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €39.90
$40.25 €36.05
10.68%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.10
$8.70 €7.79
119.54%
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.60
$10.80 €9.67
-11.11%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Valencia
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €598
$573 €513
16.53%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.8K
$9,639 €8,633
82.75%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Valencia
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.4
$93.3 €83.5
9.38%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.82
$42.41 €37.98
4.83%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €88.2
$95.8 €85.8
2.80%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$116 €104
6.86%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Valencia
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 €1,440
$1,468 €1,315
9.55%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,066
$1,095 €981
8.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,812 €2,519
$2,331 €2,088
20.65%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,013 €1,803
$1,653 €1,481
21.76%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,839 €7,021
$5,549 €4,969
41.28%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,576 €4,098
$3,319 €2,972
37.87%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Valencia
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,411
$1,854 €1,660
-15.05%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
3.41
12.90%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Valencia: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Valencia
$1.1K 8% $95
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
Valencia
$253 7% $19
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
Valencia
$263 8.3% $20
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
Valencia
$204 3.9% $8.2
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Valencia
$156 5.8% $9.6
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Valencia
$62 3% $1.9
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Valencia
$58 7.7% $4.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $1,468 in Valencia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Valencia pays 18% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $66 in Valencia. Groceries flip the comparison at $272 vs $253, with Valencia cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇪🇸 Valencia
🕒 Local time
03:31 3:31 AM
04:31 4:31 AM
1 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
807,693
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Valencia 760 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Valencia

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Valencia?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $2,092 in Valencia, so Valencia is about 5% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 15% lower in Lisbon. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Lisbon and in Valencia?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $1,468 in Valencia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Lisbon and Valencia?
Childcare runs $668 in Lisbon versus $573 in Valencia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How far does $3,000 go in Lisbon compared to Valencia?
Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Valencia gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Where should families live: Lisbon or Valencia?
For families, Valencia is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lisbon, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Is Lisbon or Valencia safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Valencia are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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