Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Murcia and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Murcia: $1,488 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Murcia, Spain
Lisbon, Portugal
Murcia
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,488
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,488 in Murcia versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

  • Murcia $1,488
  • Lisbon $2,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,288 in Murcia versus $3,275 in Lisbon.

  • Murcia $2,288
  • Lisbon $3,275

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,087 in Murcia versus $4,341 in Lisbon.

  • Murcia $3,087
  • Lisbon $4,341

Living in Murcia 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: Murcia 9% above, Lisbon 62% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Murcia
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.83 €15.08
$16.65 €14.91
1.08%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$54.8 €49.09
$61.7 €55.3
-11.22%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.56 €12.15
$11.36 €10.17
19.37%
Cappuccino
$2.42 €2.17
$2.97 €2.66
-18.52%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.05 €1.84
$2.29 €2.05
-10.48%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.47 €1.32
$1.74 €1.56
-15.52%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.05 €2.74
$3.40 €3.05
-10.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.38 €3.92
$3.31 €2.96
32.33%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Murcia
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.23 €1.10
$1.16 €1.04
6.03%
White Bread (500g)
$1.40 €1.25
$1.91 €1.71
-26.70%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.42 €1.27
$1.51 €1.35
-5.96%
Eggs
$3.30 €2.95
$4.02 €3.60
-17.91%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.60 €13.97
$12.94 €11.59
20.56%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.58 €8.58
$7.77 €6.96
23.29%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.58 €12.16
$17.76 €15.91
-23.54%
Apples (1kg)
$2.88 €2.58
$2.30 €2.06
25.22%
Banana (1kg)
$1.85 €1.65
$1.73 €1.55
6.94%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.60 €1.43
$1.86 €1.66
-13.98%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.13 €2.81
$2.59 €2.32
20.85%
Potato (1kg)
$1.94 €1.74
$1.82 €1.63
6.59%
Onion (1kg)
$1.98 €1.77
$1.97 €1.76
0.51%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.30 €1.16
$1.47 €1.32
-11.56%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.03 €0.92
$0.72 €0.65
43.06%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.61 €5.02
$6.58 €5.90
-14.74%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.04 €5.41
$5.61 €5.02
7.66%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.17 €1.04
$1.36 €1.22
-13.97%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.63 €1.46
$2.14 €1.91
-23.83%
🚌 Getting Around
Murcia
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.31 €1.17
$2.33 €2.09
-43.78%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$33.47 €29.98
$44.68 €40.01
-25.09%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$7.65 €6.85
$3.85 €3.45
98.70%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.19 €1.07
$1.07 €0.96
11.21%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$39.14 €35.05
$16.46 €14.74
137.79%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.66 €1.48
$2.20 €1.97
-24.55%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.2K €31.5K
$34.2K €30.6K
3.02%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.8K €27.6K
$38.7K €34.7K
-20.45%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Murcia
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$133 €119
$161 €144
-17.55%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.84 €14.18
$18.41 €16.49
-13.96%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$26.12 €23.39
$32.74 €29.32
-20.22%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Murcia
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$38.37 €34.37
$44.55 €39.90
-13.87%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.66 €17.61
$19.10 €17.10
2.93%
Cinema Ticket
$9.81 €8.79
$9.60 €8.60
2.19%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Murcia
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$392 €351
$668 €598
-41.30%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,100 €6,359
$17.6K €15.8K
-59.69%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Murcia
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$71.5 €64.0
$102 €91.4
-29.95%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.75 €33.81
$44.46 €39.82
-15.09%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$102 €91.1
$98.5 €88.2
3.25%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$120 €108
$124 €111
-2.64%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Murcia
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$812 €728
$1,608 €1,440
-49.48%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$535 €479
$1,190 €1,066
-55.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,240 €1,111
$2,812 €2,519
-55.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$901 €807
$2,013 €1,803
-55.24%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,092 €2,769
$7,839 €7,021
-60.56%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,522 €1,363
$4,576 €4,098
-66.75%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Murcia
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,974 €1,768
$1,575 €1,411
25.36%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.18
3.85
-17.40%

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

Last update for Murcia: October 27, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Murcia
$535
Lisbon
$1.2K 122% $655
Groceries & Markets
Murcia
$277
Lisbon
$272 1.5% $4.2
Eating Out
Murcia
$243
Lisbon
$243 0% $0.1
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Murcia
$175
Lisbon
$212 21.4% $37
Clothing & Footwear
Murcia
$149
Lisbon
$166 11.3% $17
Sport & Entertainment
Murcia
$58
Lisbon
$64 9.9% $5.7
Getting Around
Murcia
$52
Lisbon
$63 20.8% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $812 in Murcia and $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Murcia 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: $55 in Murcia vs $62 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $277 vs $272, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Murcia
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
22:13 10:13 PM
21:13 9:13 PM
1 h behind Murcia
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
469,177
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

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

On the map
Between locations
  • Murcia Lisbon 700 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Murcia
  • 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
Murcia vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Murcia and in Lisbon?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,488 in Murcia and $2,210 in Lisbon, so Murcia is about 33% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Murcia or Lisbon?
Average pay runs 25% higher in Murcia, 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 Murcia and in Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $812 in Murcia 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 Murcia and in Lisbon?
A monthly transit pass in Murcia runs roughly 25% less than in Lisbon. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
Which city is more expensive overall: Murcia or Lisbon?
All in, you’ll spend $1,488 per month in Murcia versus $2,210 in Lisbon – Murcia is about 33% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,488 in Murcia versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Murcia but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Murcia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Murcia 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 Murcia or Lisbon safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Murcia and Lisbon are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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