Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Torrevieja and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Torrevieja: $1,438 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Torrevieja
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,438
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,223
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,438 in Torrevieja versus $2,223 in Lisbon.

  • Torrevieja $1,438
  • Lisbon $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,060 in Torrevieja versus $3,271 in Lisbon.

  • Torrevieja $2,060
  • Lisbon $3,271

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,682 in Torrevieja versus $4,319 in Lisbon.

  • Torrevieja $2,682
  • Lisbon $4,319

Living in Torrevieja costs roughly 35% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Torrevieja 7% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Torrevieja
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$15.10 €13.43
$16.50 €14.67
-8.48%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$44.13 €39.25
$61.3 €54.5
-27.95%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.90 €8.80
$11.27 €10.03
-12.16%
Cappuccino
$2.25 €2.00
$3.06 €2.72
-26.47%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.91
$2.26 €2.01
-5.31%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.89 €1.68
$1.73 €1.54
9.25%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.30 €2.94
$3.39 €3.02
-2.65%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.85 €2.54
$3.40 €3.02
-16.18%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Torrevieja
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 €1.00
$1.12 €1.00
-
White Bread (500g)
$1.39 €1.23
$1.86 €1.65
-25.27%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.37 €1.22
$1.53 €1.36
-10.46%
Eggs
$3.26 €2.90
$3.96 €3.53
-17.68%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.19 €12.62
$12.76 €11.35
11.21%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.38 €6.56
$7.90 €7.02
-6.58%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.42 €19.05
$16.97 €15.09
26.22%
Apples (1kg)
$2.05 €1.82
$2.27 €2.02
-9.69%
Banana (1kg)
$1.60 €1.42
$1.75 €1.55
-8.57%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.26 €1.12
$1.85 €1.64
-31.89%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.06 €1.83
$2.57 €2.28
-19.84%
Potato (1kg)
$1.10 €0.98
$1.86 €1.65
-40.86%
Onion (1kg)
$1.16 €1.03
$2.02 €1.80
-42.57%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.23 €1.10
$1.44 €1.28
-14.58%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.42 €0.37
$0.82 €0.73
-48.78%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.94 €5.28
$6.56 €5.83
-9.45%
Wine (Bottle)
$4.40 €3.91
$5.62 €5.00
-21.71%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.87 €0.77
$1.28 €1.14
-32.03%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.32 €1.17
$2.07 €1.84
-36.23%
🚌 Getting Around
Torrevieja
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.71 €1.52
$2.35 €2.09
-27.23%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$44.18 €39.30
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
-
$3.99 €3.55
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.01 €2.68
$1.09 €0.97
176.15%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.63 €29.91
$16.64 €14.81
102.10%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.75 €1.55
$2.28 €2.03
-23.25%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.5K €31.6K
$33.7K €30.0K
5.36%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.8K €25.6K
$39.3K €35.0K
-26.80%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Torrevieja
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$111 €99.1
$167 €149
-33.50%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.32 €8.29
$18.80 €16.72
-50.43%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.18 €20.61
$33.09 €29.43
-29.95%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Torrevieja
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.83 €33.65
$46.01 €40.93
-17.78%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$5.08 €4.52
$19.19 €17.07
-73.53%
Cinema Ticket
$9.04 €8.04
$9.84 €8.75
-8.13%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Torrevieja
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$491 €437
$677 €602
-27.53%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.2K €16.1K
$16.9K €15.1K
7.30%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Torrevieja
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$39.48 €35.12
$101 €90.1
-61.00%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.81 €30.08
$45.76 €40.70
-26.11%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$68.0 €60.5
$100.0 €88.9
-32.00%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$67.8 €60.3
$123 €109
-44.77%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Torrevieja
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$708 €629
$1,614 €1,436
-56.15%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$652 €580
$1,197 €1,065
-45.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,233 €1,097
$2,862 €2,545
-56.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$884 €786
$1,990 €1,770
-55.58%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,877 €2,559
$7,577 €6,740
-62.03%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,661 €2,367
$4,307 €3,831
-38.23%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Torrevieja
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,920 €1,708
$1,588 €1,412
20.94%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.9
3.85
-24.68%

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

Last update for Torrevieja: October 12, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Torrevieja
$652
Lisbon
$1.2K 83.5% $545
Groceries & Markets
Torrevieja
$254
Lisbon
$269 6.1% $16
Eating Out
Torrevieja
$216
Lisbon
$242 12.2% $26
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Torrevieja
$144
Lisbon
$219 52.5% $76
Clothing & Footwear
Torrevieja
$94
Lisbon
$166 76.8% $72
Sport & Entertainment
Torrevieja
$56
Lisbon
$66 17.5% $9.8
Getting Around
Torrevieja
$22 *
Lisbon
$63 188% $41

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $708 in Torrevieja and $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Torrevieja pays 21% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $44.00 in Torrevieja vs $61.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $254 vs $269 per month, with Torrevieja cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Torrevieja
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
04:38 4:38 AM
03:38 3:38 AM
1 h behind Torrevieja
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
89,290
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Torrevieja Lisbon 740 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Torrevieja
  • 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
Torrevieja vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Torrevieja and in Lisbon?
Torrevieja and Lisbon differ by about 55% in total monthly costs ($1,438 vs $2,223 including rent). Torrevieja is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Torrevieja or Lisbon?
Average pay runs 21% higher in Torrevieja, 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 Torrevieja and in Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $708 in Torrevieja versus $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more expensive overall: Torrevieja or Lisbon?
All in, you'll spend $1,438 per month in Torrevieja versus $2,223 in Lisbon – a 55% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $1,000 per month?
At $1,438 in Torrevieja versus $2,223 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Torrevieja but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Torrevieja the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Torrevieja 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 Torrevieja or Lisbon safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Torrevieja and Lisbon 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: Torrevieja or Lisbon?
Expats usually find Torrevieja gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Torrevieja vs other spots: cost of living compared

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