Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Acapulco and Portimao

For one person, living is cheaper in Acapulco: $859 a month against $1,530 in Portimao, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Acapulco
🇲🇽 Mexico
$859
/mo nomad
Portimao
🇵🇹 Portugal
$1,530
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Acapulco and in Portimao

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Acapulco and in Portimao actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $859 per month in Acapulco vs $1,530 in Portimao, rent included.

  • Acapulco $859
  • Portimao $1,530

A couple spends around $1,435 per month in Acapulco vs $2,351 in Portimao, rent included.

  • Acapulco $1,435
  • Portimao $2,351

A family of three spends $2,012 per month in Acapulco vs $3,172 in Portimao, rent included.

  • Acapulco $2,012
  • Portimao $3,172

Acapulco is about 44% cheaper than Portimao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Acapulco sits 36% below the global median, while Portimao is 13% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Acapulco
Portimao
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$9.48 MX$175
$13.32 €11.85
-28.83%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$37.64 MX$696
$67.3 €59.9
-44.06%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.97 MX$221
$10.47 €9.32
14.33%
Cappuccino
$3.76 MX$69.5
$1.77 €1.57
112.43%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.63 MX$30.10
$2.12 €1.88
-23.11%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.66 MX$30.65
$1.59 €1.41
4.40%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.00 MX$55.4
$2.49 €2.21
20.48%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.79 MX$88.4
$4.26 €3.79
12.44%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Acapulco
Portimao
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.59 MX$29.36
$1.12 €0.99
41.96%
White Bread (500g)
$2.89 MX$53.5
$1.64 €1.46
76.22%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.68 MX$31.11
$1.67 €1.48
0.60%
Eggs
$1.79 MX$33.06
$3.11 €2.77
-42.44%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.64 MX$123
$11.54 €10.27
-42.46%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.04 MX$149
$7.33 €6.52
9.69%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.78 MX$199
$10.73 €9.54
0.47%
Apples (1kg)
$4.58 MX$84.7
$2.23 €1.99
105.38%
Banana (1kg)
$1.65 MX$30.46
$1.53 €1.36
7.84%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.38 MX$62.5
$1.37 €1.22
146.72%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.13 MX$57.9
$2.31 €2.06
35.50%
Potato (1kg)
$3.47 MX$64.2
$2.04 €1.81
70.10%
Onion (1kg)
$2.96 MX$54.7
$2.18 €1.94
35.78%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.31 MX$24.12
$1.54 €1.37
-14.94%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.78 MX$14.46
$0.78 €0.70
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$8.16 MX$151
$6.05 €5.38
34.88%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.66 MX$123
$5.45 €4.85
22.20%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.12 MX$20.74
$1.08 €0.96
3.70%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.70 MX$49.94
$2.44 €2.17
10.66%
🚌 Getting Around
Acapulco
Portimao
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.88 MX$16.27
$1.94 €1.73
-54.64%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$26.98 €24.00
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.85 MX$89.6
$3.43 €3.05
41.40%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$1.05 €0.94
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$16.55 €14.72
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 MX$27.16
$2.13 €1.90
-30.99%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.1K MX$389.7K
$33.2K €29.5K
-36.46%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.8K MX$458.4K
$37.9K €33.7K
-34.59%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Acapulco
Portimao
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$39.89 MX$737
$110 €98.3
-63.88%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.81 MX$274
$37.45 €33.31
-60.45%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$21.72 MX$401
$48.48 €43.13
-55.20%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Acapulco
Portimao
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$19.02 MX$351
$47.37 €42.14
-59.85%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$13.85 MX$256
$21.29 €18.94
-34.95%
Cinema Ticket
$3.87 MX$71.6
$7.79 €6.92
-50.32%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Acapulco
Portimao
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$162 MX$2,994
-
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$4,503 €4,005
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Acapulco
Portimao
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$64.4 MX$1,191
$52.4 €46.56
23.08%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.58 MX$824
$22.91 €20.38
94.59%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$107 MX$1,985
$45.69 €40.64
135.06%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$83.2 MX$1,538
$67.4 €60.0
23.40%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Acapulco
Portimao
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$519 MX$9,593
$969 €862
-46.42%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$150 MX$2,763
$713 €634
-79.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$956 MX$17.7K
$1,703 €1,514
-43.83%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$331 MX$6,118
$1,228 €1,093
-73.04%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$4,245 €3,776
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$3,243 €2,884
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Acapulco
Portimao
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$449 MX$8,293
$985 €876
-54.44%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.6
4.58
153.28%

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

Last update for Acapulco: October 11, 2026

Last update for Portimao: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Acapulco
$269
Portimao
$235 12.6% $34
Eating Out
Acapulco
$195
Portimao
$195 0.2% $0.4
Accommodation & Living
Acapulco
$150
Portimao
$713 377% $564
Clothing & Footwear
Acapulco
$135
Portimao
$85 37.1% $50
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Acapulco
$76
Portimao
$196 157% $120
Sport & Entertainment
Acapulco
$27
Portimao
$63 135% $36
Getting Around
Acapulco
$8.4 *
Portimao
$43 419% $35

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $519 in Acapulco versus $969 in Portimao. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 120% higher in Portimao, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38.00 in Acapulco versus $67.0 in Portimao. Groceries tell a different story – $269 in Acapulco vs $235 in Portimao – so Portimao wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Acapulco
🇵🇹 Portimao
🕒 Local time
17:08 5:08 PM
00:08 12:08 AM
7 h ahead of Acapulco
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
658,609
59,867
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Acapulco Portimao 9,000 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Acapulco
  • Portimao

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
Acapulco vs Portimao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Acapulco or Portimao?
Portimao costs about 78% more than Acapulco, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Acapulco and in Portimao?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,288 per month in Acapulco and $2,296 in Portimao. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Acapulco or Portimao?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Acapulco, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Acapulco compared to Portimao?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $859 in Acapulco and $1,530 in Portimao. That's a gap of about 78%.
Are groceries more expensive in Acapulco or in Portimao?
Interestingly, groceries are about 14% cheaper in Portimao – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Acapulco or in Portimao?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Acapulco, where all-in costs run around $859, than in Portimao at $1,530. In Acapulco it covers expenses comfortably, while in Portimao it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Acapulco – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How safe is Acapulco compared to Portimao?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Should I move to Acapulco or to Portimao?
If budget matters most, go with Acapulco. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Portimao makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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