Cost of Living Comparison Between Valence and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Valence and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,587 in Valence versus $2,263 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,390 in Valence versus $3,315 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,193 in Valence versus $4,368 in Lisbon.

Living in Valence costs roughly 30% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Valence 18% above, Lisbon 68% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.55 €12.54

$15.94 €13.73

-8.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.9 €49.02

$63.4 €54.6

-10.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.46 €9.87

$10.38 €8.95

10.40%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.48

$2.79 €2.40

2.87%

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

$2.68 €2.31

$2.34 €2.01

14.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 €1.63

$1.57 €1.35

21.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.85 €5.04

$3.43 €2.95

70.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 €3.93

$3.91 €3.37

16.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.08 €0.93

5.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.77 €1.52

-33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 €1.95

$1.71 €1.47

32.16%

Eggs

$4.10 €3.54

$3.15 €2.71

30.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.06 €16.42

$13.68 €11.79

39.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.61 €13.45

$8.01 €6.90

94.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.22 €22.59

$15.52 €13.37

68.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 €2.68

$2.29 €1.98

35.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.26 €1.95

$1.64 €1.41

37.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.51 €2.16

$1.94 €1.67

29.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 €3.31

$2.51 €2.17

52.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.33 €2.01

$1.79 €1.54

30.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 €2.29

$2.01 €1.73

32.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 €1.35

$1.97 €1.69

-20.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.22 €0.19

$0.84 €0.73

-73.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.71 €10.96

$6.79 €5.85

87.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$5.67 €4.89

-40.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.59

$1.39 €1.20

116.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.87 €3.33

$3.02 €2.60

28.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.58 €1.36

$2.27 €1.95

-30.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.58 €42.72

$45.44 €39.15

9.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.13 €4.42

$4.29 €3.70

19.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 €1.61

$0.85 €0.73

118.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.76 €29.09

$18.28 €15.75

84.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.03 €1.75

$1.99 €1.71

2.01%

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

$37.4K €32.2K

$35.0K €30.2K

6.79%

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

$38.5K €33.1K

$39.5K €34.1K

-2.77%

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

$145 €125

$146 €126

-0.75%

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

$11.60 €9.99

$20.45 €17.62

-43.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.27 €25.22

$38.98 €33.58

-24.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.28 €19.20

$48.98 €42.21

-54.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.18 €15.66

$18.83 €16.22

-3.45%

Cinema Ticket

$13.73 €11.83

$9.52 €8.21

44.22%

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

$795 €685

$608 €524

30.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,985 €6,880

$16.5K €14.2K

-51.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €86.8

$104 €89.5

-2.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.72 €38.53

$42.12 €36.29

6.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €90.1

$92.2 €79.5

13.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$179 €154

$120 €103

48.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$561 €483

$1,621 €1,397

-65.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$459 €395

$1,268 €1,092

-63.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$812 €700

$3,048 €2,626

-73.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$690 €594

$2,009 €1,731

-65.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,212 €2,767

$7,663 €6,602

-58.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,781 €2,396

$4,329 €3,730

-35.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,647 €2,281

$1,585 €1,366

67.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.64

3.81

-4.46%

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

Last update for Valence: June 8, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $561 in Valence and $1,621 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Valence pays 67% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $57.0 in Valence vs $63.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $372 vs $269, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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

Valence vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Valence and Lisbon differ by about 43% in total monthly costs ($1,587 vs $2,263 including rent). Valence is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Valence pays 67% more on average, 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: $561 in Valence versus $1,621 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $795 in Valence versus $608 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 38% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,587 in Valence versus $2,263 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Valence but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Valence 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, Valence 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.

Expats usually find Valence gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.