Cost of Living Comparison Between Ljubljana and Albufeira Cost of Living Comparison Between Ljubljana and Albufeira

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,054 in Ljubljana versus $2,325 in Albufeira.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,008 in Ljubljana versus $3,221 in Albufeira.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,962 in Ljubljana versus $4,117 in Albufeira.

Living in Ljubljana costs roughly 12% less than in Albufeira, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ljubljana 54% above, Albufeira 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.24 €15.10

$14.04 €12.30

22.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.9

$56.9 €49.84

22.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.45 €8.28

$9.76 €8.54

-3.18%

Cappuccino

$2.58 €2.26

$2.25 €1.97

14.67%

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

$3.04 €2.66

$1.74 €1.53

74.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.12 €0.98

76.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.85 €3.37

$2.26 €1.98

70.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 €4.03

$4.61 €4.04

-0.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 €1.30

$1.07 €0.94

38.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.17 €1.90

$1.24 €1.09

75.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.88 €2.52

$1.59 €1.39

81.13%

Eggs

$3.87 €3.39

$3.26 €2.85

18.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.38 €11.72

$16.17 €14.16

-17.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.70 €9.37

$8.09 €7.08

32.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.75 €11.17

$22.80 €19.97

-44.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 €1.77

$2.65 €2.32

-23.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 €1.55

$1.68 €1.47

4.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.16 €1.89

$2.01 €1.76

7.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.54 €3.10

$3.29 €2.88

7.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.37 €1.20

$1.76 €1.54

-22.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 €1.42

$2.93 €2.57

-44.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 €1.50

$1.68 €1.47

1.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 €0.86

$0.63 €0.55

57.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.98 €5.23

$6.58 €5.76

-9.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.39 €7.35

$5.14 €4.51

63.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 €1.27

$1.37 €1.20

5.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 €1.77

$1.84 €1.61

10.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.46 €1.28

$4.71 €4.13

-69.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.25 €37.01

$58.6 €51.3

-27.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 €1.96

$4.12 €3.61

-45.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.17 €1.02

$0.81 €0.71

44.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.99 €17.51

$17.66 €15.47

13.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 €1.52

$1.99 €1.74

-12.56%

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

$28.9K €25.3K

$34.8K €30.4K

-17.01%

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

$28.9K €25.3K

$39.5K €34.6K

-26.87%

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

$279 €244

$147 €128

90.15%

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

$18.60 €16.29

$25.36 €22.21

-26.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.84 €33.14

$45.51 €39.86

-16.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 €46.20

$55.5 €48.56

-4.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.04 €15.80

$11.73 €10.27

53.79%

Cinema Ticket

$9.12 €7.99

$8.66 €7.58

5.31%

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

$541 €474

$490 €429

10.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.2K €12.4K

$11.8K €10.3K

20.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$100.0 €87.5

$111 €97.5

-10.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.21 €40.47

$46.50 €40.72

-0.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$83.8 €73.4

24.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 €121

$146 €128

-5.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,002 €878

$1,326 €1,161

-24.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$851 €745

$1,295 €1,134

-34.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,070 €1,813

$3,195 €2,798

-35.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,469 €1,286

$1,748 €1,531

-15.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,373 €5,581

$2,380 €2,084

167.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,903 €4,294

$2,236 €1,958

119.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,018 €1,767

$1,568 €1,373

28.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.84

5.02

-23.51%

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

Last update for Ljubljana: July 12, 2026

Last update for Albufeira: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,002 in Ljubljana and $1,326 in Albufeira. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ljubljana pays 29% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Ljubljana vs $57.0 in Albufeira for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $294 per month, with Albufeira 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

Ljubljana vs Albufeira: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ljubljana and Albufeira differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($2,054 vs $2,325 including rent). Ljubljana is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 29% higher in Ljubljana, 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: $1,002 in Ljubljana versus $1,326 in Albufeira. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $541 in Ljubljana versus $490 in Albufeira. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Albufeira pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,054 in Ljubljana versus $2,325 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.

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, 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.

Expats usually find Ljubljana gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Albufeira. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.