Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Marbella and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,210 a month against $2,610 in Marbella, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Marbella
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Marbella Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Marbella

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,610

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Marbella and in Lisbon

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,610 in Marbella versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Marbella $2,610
Lisbon $2,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,156 in Marbella versus $3,275 in Lisbon.

Marbella $4,156
Lisbon $3,275

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,702 in Marbella versus $4,341 in Lisbon.

Marbella $5,702
Lisbon $4,341

Living in Marbella is roughly 18% more expensive than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Marbella 92% above, Lisbon 62% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.06 €19.81

$16.65 €14.95

32.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.9 €80.8

$61.7 €55.5

45.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.92 €12.50

$11.36 €10.20

22.54%

Cappuccino

$3.74 €3.36

$2.97 €2.67

25.93%

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

$3.27 €2.94

$2.29 €2.06

42.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 €2.92

$1.74 €1.56

86.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.41 €3.96

$3.40 €3.06

29.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.45 €4.90

$3.31 €2.97

64.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 €1.60

$1.16 €1.04

53.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.67

$1.91 €1.72

-2.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 €1.24

$1.51 €1.36

-8.61%

Eggs

$4.14 €3.72

$4.02 €3.61

2.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.52 €12.15

$12.94 €11.62

4.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.99 €8.08

$7.77 €6.98

15.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.61 €14.92

$17.76 €15.95

-6.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.61 €3.25

$2.30 €2.07

56.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.78 €2.50

$1.73 €1.56

60.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.25 €3.81

$1.86 €1.67

128.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.02 €2.72

$2.59 €2.33

16.60%

Potato (1kg)

$4.29 €3.86

$1.82 €1.64

135.71%

Onion (1kg)

$3.27 €2.94

$1.97 €1.77

65.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 €1.53

$1.47 €1.32

16.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 €1.91

$0.72 €0.65

194.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.64 €5.96

$6.58 €5.91

0.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.17 €10.03

$5.61 €5.04

99.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 €1.37

$1.36 €1.22

12.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.60

$2.14 €1.92

35.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.30 €1.17

$2.33 €2.10

-44.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.30 €21.83

$44.68 €40.14

-45.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.57 €4.10

$3.85 €3.46

18.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.27 €2.04

$1.07 €0.96

112.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.27 €11.92

$16.46 €14.79

-19.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.62

$2.20 €1.98

-18.18%

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

$34.7K €31.2K

$34.2K €30.7K

1.45%

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

$31.5K €28.3K

$38.7K €34.8K

-18.63%

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

$164 €147

$161 €145

1.48%

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

$21.72 €19.51

$18.41 €16.54

17.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.89 €25.05

$32.74 €29.41

-14.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.7 €53.6

$44.55 €40.02

33.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.33 €29.94

$19.10 €17.16

74.50%

Cinema Ticket

$10.12 €9.09

$9.60 €8.62

5.42%

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

$1,343 €1,207

$668 €600

101.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.6K €12.2K

$17.6K €15.8K

-22.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.3 €83.8

$102 €91.6

-8.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 €49.34

$44.46 €39.94

23.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$145 €131

$98.5 €88.5

47.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$167 €150

$124 €111

34.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,672 €1,502

$1,608 €1,445

3.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,394 €1,252

$1,190 €1,069

17.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,329 €2,991

$2,812 €2,526

18.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,802 €2,517

$2,013 €1,808

39.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,678 €5,999

$7,839 €7,042

-14.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,289 €4,751

$4,576 €4,110

15.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,080 €1,869

$1,575 €1,415

32.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

3.85

5.97%

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

Last update for Marbella: October 25, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Marbella

$1.4K 53.4%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8% 14.6% $204

Groceries & Markets

Marbella

$348 13.3%

Lisbon

$272 12.3% 21.8% $76

Eating Out

Marbella

$322 12.3%

Lisbon

$243 11% 24.7% $79

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Marbella

$213 8.2%

Lisbon

$212 9.6% 0.4% $0.8

Clothing & Footwear

Marbella

$207 7.9%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 20% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Marbella

$80 3.1%

Lisbon

$64 2.9% 20.3% $16

Getting Around

Marbella

$45 1.7%

Lisbon

$63 2.9% 39.2% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,672 in Marbella and $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Marbella pays 32% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $90 in Marbella vs $62 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $348 vs $272 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Marbella

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

21:31 9:31 PM

20:31 8:31 PM

1 h behind Marbella

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

156,295

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Marbella vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,610 in Marbella and $2,210 in Lisbon, so Lisbon is about 15% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 32% higher in Marbella, 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: $1,672 in Marbella versus $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,343 in Marbella versus $668 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in Marbella. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Lisbon gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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, Marbella and Lisbon are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Lisbon wins on affordability, Marbella on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.