Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Motril and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Motril: $1,480 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Motril, Spain
Lisbon, Portugal
Motril
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,480
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Motril 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 Motril and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,480 in Motril versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

  • Motril $1,480
  • Lisbon $2,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,218 in Motril versus $3,275 in Lisbon.

  • Motril $2,218
  • Lisbon $3,275

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,955 in Motril versus $4,341 in Lisbon.

  • Motril $2,955
  • Lisbon $4,341

Living in Motril costs roughly 33% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Motril 9% above, Lisbon 62% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Motril
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.71 €14.97
$16.65 €14.91
0.36%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$56.4 €50.5
$61.7 €55.3
-8.70%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.69 €5.99
$11.36 €10.17
-41.11%
Cappuccino
$2.07 €1.85
$2.97 €2.66
-30.30%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75 €2.46
$2.29 €2.05
20.09%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.10 €0.99
$1.74 €1.56
-36.78%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.62 €4.14
$3.40 €3.05
35.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.69 €5.10
$3.31 €2.96
71.90%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Motril
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.15 €1.03
$1.16 €1.04
-0.86%
White Bread (500g)
$1.83 €1.64
$1.91 €1.71
-4.19%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.43 €1.28
$1.51 €1.35
-5.30%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.60
$4.02 €3.60
-
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.49 €12.08
$12.94 €11.59
4.25%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.36 €3.91
$7.77 €6.96
-43.89%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.24 €14.54
$17.76 €15.91
-8.56%
Apples (1kg)
$2.18 €1.95
$2.30 €2.06
-5.22%
Banana (1kg)
$2.27 €2.03
$1.73 €1.55
31.21%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.28 €2.04
$1.86 €1.66
22.58%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.86 €2.56
$2.59 €2.32
10.42%
Potato (1kg)
$1.77 €1.59
$1.82 €1.63
-2.75%
Onion (1kg)
$2.77 €2.48
$1.97 €1.76
40.61%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.64 €1.47
$1.47 €1.32
11.56%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.74 €0.66
$0.72 €0.65
2.78%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.79 €6.08
$6.58 €5.90
3.19%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.14 €8.18
$5.61 €5.02
62.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.53 €1.37
$1.36 €1.22
12.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.25 €2.02
$2.14 €1.91
5.14%
🚌 Getting Around
Motril
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.65 €1.48
$2.33 €2.09
-29.18%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$32.16 €28.80
$44.68 €40.01
-28.02%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.00 €1.79
$3.85 €3.45
-48.05%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.14 €1.02
$1.07 €0.96
6.54%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$22.86 €20.47
$16.46 €14.74
38.88%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.75 €1.57
$2.20 €1.97
-20.45%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$25.9K €23.2K
$34.2K €30.6K
-24.36%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.1K €27.9K
$38.7K €34.7K
-19.63%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Motril
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$79.3 €71.0
$161 €144
-50.82%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.89 €14.23
$18.41 €16.49
-13.69%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$22.80 €20.42
$32.74 €29.32
-30.36%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Motril
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.89 €44.68
$44.55 €39.90
11.99%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.54 €13.91
$19.10 €17.10
-18.64%
Cinema Ticket
$6.75 €6.05
$9.60 €8.60
-29.69%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Motril
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$252 €225
$668 €598
-62.33%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.4K €12.0K
$17.6K €15.8K
-23.93%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Motril
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$33.82 €30.29
$102 €91.4
-66.85%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.08 €25.15
$44.46 €39.82
-36.84%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.9 €71.6
$98.5 €88.2
-18.90%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$45.51 €40.76
$124 €111
-63.20%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Motril
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$887 €794
$1,608 €1,440
-44.87%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$672 €602
$1,190 €1,066
-43.50%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,366 €1,223
$2,812 €2,519
-51.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,016 €910
$2,013 €1,803
-49.53%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,261 €2,920
$7,839 €7,021
-58.40%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,245 €2,011
$4,576 €4,098
-50.93%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Motril
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,707 €1,529
$1,575 €1,411
8.36%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3
3.85
-22.08%

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

Last update for Motril: 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
Motril
$672
Lisbon
$1.2K 77% $518
Groceries & Markets
Motril
$267
Lisbon
$272 1.9% $5
Eating Out
Motril
$229
Lisbon
$243 6.2% $14
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Motril
$118
Lisbon
$212 80% $94
Clothing & Footwear
Motril
$84
Lisbon
$166 96.8% $82
Sport & Entertainment
Motril
$63
Lisbon
$64 0.5% $0.3
Getting Around
Motril
$46
Lisbon
$63 36.1% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $887 in Motril and $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Motril pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $56 in Motril vs $62 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $272 per month, with Motril cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Motril
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
05:24 5:24 AM
04:24 4:24 AM
1 h behind Motril
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
58,939
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Motril Lisbon 540 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Motril
  • Lisbon

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
Motril vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Motril and in Lisbon?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,480 in Motril and $2,210 in Lisbon, so Motril is about 33% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Motril or Lisbon?
Average pay runs 8% higher in Motril, 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 Motril and in Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $887 in Motril versus $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do commuting costs compare in Motril and in Lisbon?
A monthly transit pass in Motril runs roughly 28% less than in Lisbon. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
Which city is more expensive overall: Motril or Lisbon?
All in, you’ll spend $1,480 per month in Motril versus $2,210 in Lisbon – Motril is about 33% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
How does quality of life compare between Motril and Lisbon?
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 Motril or Lisbon safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Motril and Lisbon are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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