Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ljubljana and Albufeira

For one person, living is cheaper in Ljubljana: $2,073 a month against $2,208 in Albufeira, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Albufeira outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Ljubljana
🇸🇮 Slovenia
$2,073
/mo nomad
Albufeira
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,208
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ljubljana and in Albufeira

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,073 in Ljubljana versus $2,208 in Albufeira.

  • Ljubljana $2,073
  • Albufeira $2,208

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,059 in Ljubljana versus $3,063 in Albufeira.

  • Ljubljana $3,059
  • Albufeira $3,063

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,045 in Ljubljana versus $3,918 in Albufeira.

  • Ljubljana $4,045
  • Albufeira $3,918

Living in Ljubljana costs roughly 6% less than in Albufeira, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ljubljana 54% above, Albufeira 64% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ljubljana
Albufeira
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$15.76 €14.02
$13.24 €11.78
19.03%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.0 €59.6
$55.7 €49.51
20.36%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.07 €9.84
$10.15 €9.03
9.06%
Cappuccino
$2.85 €2.53
$2.57 €2.28
10.89%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.10 €2.76
$1.55 €1.38
100.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.98 €1.76
$1.32 €1.18
50.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.01 €3.56
$3.40 €3.03
17.94%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.44 €3.95
$4.33 €3.85
2.54%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ljubljana
Albufeira
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.30 €1.16
$1.07 €0.95
21.50%
White Bread (500g)
$2.17 €1.93
$1.20 €1.06
80.83%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.08 €2.74
$1.55 €1.37
98.71%
Eggs
$4.05 €3.60
$3.01 €2.67
34.55%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.79 €13.15
$15.68 €13.94
-5.68%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.03 €8.92
$8.01 €7.13
25.22%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.84 €13.20
$22.41 €19.94
-33.78%
Apples (1kg)
$2.19 €1.95
$2.56 €2.28
-14.45%
Banana (1kg)
$1.74 €1.55
$1.31 €1.16
32.82%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.27 €2.02
$1.87 €1.67
21.39%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.55 €3.15
$3.14 €2.79
13.06%
Potato (1kg)
$1.50 €1.34
$1.79 €1.59
-16.20%
Onion (1kg)
$1.63 €1.45
$2.82 €2.51
-42.20%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.71 €1.52
$1.57 €1.39
8.92%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.83 €0.74
$0.54 €0.48
53.70%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.16 €5.48
$6.14 €5.46
0.33%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.62 €6.78
$5.14 €4.57
48.25%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.42 €1.26
$1.34 €1.20
5.97%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.16 €1.92
$1.80 €1.60
20.00%
🚌 Getting Around
Ljubljana
Albufeira
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.66 €1.47
$3.05 €2.72
-45.57%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$42.07 €37.42
$55.2 €49.06
-23.72%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.21 €1.97
$3.56 €3.17
-37.92%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.29 €1.15
$1.09 €0.97
18.35%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$19.24 €17.11
$16.45 €14.63
16.96%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.85 €1.65
$2.02 €1.80
-8.42%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.4K €26.1K
$33.5K €29.8K
-12.22%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.0K €22.2K
$32.7K €29.1K
-23.68%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ljubljana
Albufeira
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$278 €248
$108 €96.0
157.80%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.61 €14.78
$21.27 €18.92
-21.91%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$40.72 €36.22
$34.44 €30.64
18.23%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ljubljana
Albufeira
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$53.8 €47.87
$52.8 €47.00
1.85%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.04 €21.38
$11.28 €10.04
113.12%
Cinema Ticket
$10.77 €9.58
$8.76 €7.79
22.95%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ljubljana
Albufeira
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$658 €585
$482 €428
36.64%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.1K €12.5K
$11.1K €9,837
27.57%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ljubljana
Albufeira
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$115 €102
$105 €93.8
9.32%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.95 €38.20
$45.52 €40.49
-5.65%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 €95.9
$83.3 €74.1
29.55%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$145 €129
$145 €129
0.14%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ljubljana
Albufeira
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,090 €970
$1,292 €1,149
-15.64%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$875 €779
$1,239 €1,102
-29.32%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,074 €1,845
$2,971 €2,642
-30.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,459 €1,298
$1,670 €1,485
-12.63%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,492 €5,774
$2,306 €2,051
181.56%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,815 €4,283
$2,233 €1,986
115.62%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ljubljana
Albufeira
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,929 €1,716
$1,541 €1,371
25.16%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.52
3.54
-0.56%

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

Last update for Ljubljana: October 11, 2026

Last update for Albufeira: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ljubljana
$875
Albufeira
$1.2K 41.5% $363
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ljubljana
$336
Albufeira
$164 51.2% $172
Groceries & Markets
Ljubljana
$302
Albufeira
$283 6.1% $18
Eating Out
Ljubljana
$243
Albufeira
$204 15.8% $38
Clothing & Footwear
Ljubljana
$185
Albufeira
$171 7.8% $14
Sport & Entertainment
Ljubljana
$75
Albufeira
$70 6.6% $5
Getting Around
Ljubljana
$57
Albufeira
$76 33.1% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,090 in Ljubljana and $1,292 in Albufeira. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ljubljana pays 25% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $67.0 in Ljubljana vs $56.0 in Albufeira for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $302 vs $283 per month, with Albufeira cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇸🇮 Ljubljana
🇵🇹 Albufeira
🕒 Local time
02:32 2:32 AM
01:32 1:32 AM
1 h behind Ljubljana
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
285,604 Capital
44,168
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ljubljana Albufeira 2,130 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Ljubljana
  • Albufeira

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
Ljubljana vs Albufeira: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Ljubljana and in Albufeira?
Ljubljana and Albufeira differ by about 6% in total monthly costs ($2,073 vs $2,208 including rent). Ljubljana is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Ljubljana or Albufeira?
Average pay runs 25% higher in Ljubljana, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Ljubljana and in Albufeira?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,090 in Ljubljana versus $1,292 in Albufeira. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Ljubljana and Albufeira?
Childcare runs $658 in Ljubljana versus $482 in Albufeira. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Albufeira pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city is more doable on $2,500 per month?
At $2,073 in Ljubljana versus $2,208 in Albufeira, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Ljubljana but tight or insufficient in Albufeira. The gap between the two cities makes Ljubljana the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Ljubljana and Albufeira?
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.
Is Ljubljana or Albufeira safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Ljubljana and Albufeira are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Ljubljana or Albufeira?
Expats usually find Ljubljana gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Albufeira. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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