Lisbon vs Valencia
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Lisbon edges it, 72 to 70, winning 5 of the 9 factors. Lisbon is stronger on climate; Valencia on cost of living. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Sunny Atlantic capital with Europe's biggest nomad scene
Full Lisbon profile →Plan a trip to Lisbon →Barcelona's calmer, cheaper Mediterranean cousin
Full Valencia profile →Plan a trip to Valencia →Where they differ
- Climate. Lisbon leads on climate, 67 to 50, against Valencia. Comfortable months: 8 vs 6.
- Cost of living. Valencia leads on cost of living, 43 to 30, against Lisbon. Monthly cost, one person: $2,456 vs $1,915.
- Safety. Lisbon leads on safety, 83 to 76, against Valencia. Homicides per 100,000: 0.71 vs 0.73.
Where they are close. Within five points on visa ease, internet, healthcare, getting there & around.
Pick Lisbon if you want
- the safer country figures
- a longer comfortable season (8 months against 6)
Pick Valencia if you want
- to spend about $541 less a month
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Lisbon | Valencia |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 30 | 43 ✓ |
| Safety | 83 ✓ | 76 |
| Healthcare | 87 | 90 ✓ |
| Internet | 71 | 74 ✓ |
| Visa ease | 75 | 80 ✓ |
| Getting there & around | 52 ✓ | 51 |
| Climate | 67 ✓ | 50 |
| Air quality | 94 ✓ | 87 |
| Quality of life | 88 ✓ | 81 |
Cost
| Metric | Lisbon | Valencia |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one person | $2,456 | $1,915 ✓ |
| Central one-bedroom rent | $1,610 | $1,155 ✓ |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Lisbon | Valencia |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 0.71 ✓ | 0.73 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 77.9 ✓ | 68.7 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 83 | 84 ✓ |
| Life expectancy | 81.9 yrs | 83.3 yrs ✓ |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Lisbon | Valencia |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 40.4 Mbps | 42.6 Mbps ✓ |
| Upload | 18.4 Mbps | 34.7 Mbps ✓ |
Visa
| Metric | Lisbon | Valencia |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | Digital nomad residence visa (D8) | International teleworking visa (digital nomad visa) |
| Minimum income for the visa | $4,131/mo | $2,741/mo ✓ |
| Entry, US passport | 90 days | 90 days |
| Entry, EU passport | unlimited | unlimited |
| Entry, UK passport | 90 days | 90 days |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Lisbon | Valencia |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 154 ✓ | 110 |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 4 | 5 ✓ |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 4 | 4 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Lisbon | Valencia |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 8 ✓ | 6 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 7.6 µg/m³ ✓ | 10.7 µg/m³ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Lisbon or Valencia?
- Valencia is cheaper: about $1,915 per month versus $2,456 for one person.
- Is Lisbon or Valencia safer?
- Lisbon scores higher on safety (83 vs 76), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Lisbon or Valencia?
- Valencia: a measured median of 42.6 Mbps versus 40.4 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year); UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Nostos long-stay visa guides; Starlink availability map. Dataset 2026.11.3. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.