Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Isla Mujeres and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Isla Mujeres: $1,103 a month against $2,202 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Isla Mujeres
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,103
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,202
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,103 in Isla Mujeres versus $2,202 in Lisbon.

  • Isla Mujeres $1,103
  • Lisbon $2,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,760 in Isla Mujeres versus $3,274 in Lisbon.

  • Isla Mujeres $1,760
  • Lisbon $3,274

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,416 in Isla Mujeres versus $4,346 in Lisbon.

  • Isla Mujeres $2,416
  • Lisbon $4,346

Living in Isla Mujeres costs roughly 50% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Isla Mujeres is 19% below, Lisbon is 62% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Isla Mujeres
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.59 MX$196
$17.04 €15.15
-37.85%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$39.10 MX$722
$62.3 €55.4
-37.23%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.70 MX$142
$11.02 €9.80
-30.13%
Cappuccino
$3.26 MX$60.2
$3.12 €2.78
4.49%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.24 MX$22.93
$2.27 €2.02
-45.37%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.98 MX$18.04
$1.74 €1.55
-43.68%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.17 MX$40.08
$3.42 €3.04
-36.55%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.00 MX$73.9
$3.74 €3.33
6.95%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Isla Mujeres
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.44 MX$26.58
$1.17 €1.04
23.08%
White Bread (500g)
$2.52 MX$46.64
$1.86 €1.66
35.48%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.56 MX$28.75
$1.54 €1.37
1.30%
Eggs
$2.33 MX$43.08
$4.06 €3.61
-42.61%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.97 MX$147
$12.91 €11.49
-38.26%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.02 MX$148
$7.90 €7.03
1.52%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.38 MX$192
$17.64 €15.69
-41.16%
Apples (1kg)
$2.60 MX$48.09
$2.26 €2.01
15.04%
Banana (1kg)
$1.41 MX$26.02
$1.75 €1.55
-19.43%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.71 MX$31.68
$1.89 €1.68
-9.52%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.70 MX$31.45
$2.56 €2.27
-33.59%
Potato (1kg)
$1.90 MX$35.19
$1.85 €1.64
2.70%
Onion (1kg)
$1.93 MX$35.63
$1.97 €1.75
-2.03%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.26 MX$23.35
$1.45 €1.29
-13.10%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.98 MX$18.14
$0.77 €0.69
27.27%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.21 MX$77.7
$6.71 €5.97
-37.26%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.00 MX$203
$5.67 €5.04
94.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.60 MX$29.54
$1.37 €1.22
16.79%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77 MX$51.1
$2.11 €1.88
31.28%
🚌 Getting Around
Isla Mujeres
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.62 MX$11.45
$2.32 €2.07
-73.28%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$44.43 €39.52
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.54 MX$46.85
$3.95 €3.51
-35.70%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.59 MX$29.42
$1.05 €0.93
51.43%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.47 MX$157
$17.15 €15.26
-50.61%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.26 MX$23.31
$2.19 €1.95
-42.47%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.4K MX$396.2K
$33.8K €30.0K
-36.54%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.1K MX$408.2K
$38.3K €34.0K
-42.27%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Isla Mujeres
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$56.3 MX$1,041
$164 €146
-65.61%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.23 MX$411
$18.48 €16.43
20.29%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.99 MX$517
$32.96 €29.32
-15.08%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Isla Mujeres
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$36.29 MX$671
$45.87 €40.80
-20.89%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.00 MX$296
$18.68 €16.61
-14.35%
Cinema Ticket
$4.64 MX$85.8
$9.75 €8.67
-52.41%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Isla Mujeres
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$210 MX$3,888
$684 €608
-69.24%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,607 MX$66.6K
$17.6K €15.7K
-79.54%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Isla Mujeres
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.0 MX$961
$104 €92.3
-49.85%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.19 MX$743
$46.20 €41.09
-13.01%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$90.8 MX$1,678
$99.7 €88.7
-8.92%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$80.7 MX$1,492
$125 €111
-35.26%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Isla Mujeres
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$505 MX$9,338
$1,589 €1,414
-68.20%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$395 MX$7,304
$1,169 €1,040
-66.19%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$919 MX$17.0K
$2,851 €2,536
-67.75%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$770 MX$14.2K
$1,993 €1,773
-61.37%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,779 MX$32.9K
$7,793 €6,932
-77.17%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,176 MX$21.7K
$4,418 €3,930
-73.37%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Isla Mujeres
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,600 €1,423
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.48
3.85
198.18%

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

Last update for Isla Mujeres: October 19, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Isla Mujeres
$395
Lisbon
$1.2K 196% $774
Groceries & Markets
Isla Mujeres
$249
Lisbon
$273 9.6% $24
Eating Out
Isla Mujeres
$175
Lisbon
$247 41.7% $73
Clothing & Footwear
Isla Mujeres
$119
Lisbon
$168 41.9% $50
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Isla Mujeres
$107
Lisbon
$215 102% $109
Sport & Entertainment
Isla Mujeres
$46
Lisbon
$65 43.4% $20
Getting Around
Isla Mujeres
$13 *
Lisbon
$63 385% $50

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 $505 in Isla Mujeres and $1,589 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $39.00 in Isla Mujeres vs $62.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $273 per month, with Isla Mujeres cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Isla Mujeres
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
23:46 11:46 PM
05:46 5:46 AM
6 h ahead of Isla Mujeres
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
13,174
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 23, 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 23, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Isla Mujeres Lisbon 7,510 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Isla Mujeres
  • 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
Isla Mujeres vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Isla Mujeres and in Lisbon?
Isla Mujeres and Lisbon differ by about 100% in total monthly costs ($1,103 vs $2,202 including rent). Isla Mujeres is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Isla Mujeres compared to Lisbon?
You'd need roughly $1,654 in Isla Mujeres and $3,302 in Lisbon to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do apartment prices compare in Isla Mujeres and in Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $505 in Isla Mujeres versus $1,589 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 10% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more expensive overall: Isla Mujeres or Lisbon?
All in, you'll spend $1,103 per month in Isla Mujeres versus $2,202 in Lisbon – a 100% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,103 in Isla Mujeres versus $2,202 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Isla Mujeres but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Isla Mujeres the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Isla Mujeres 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 Isla Mujeres or Lisbon safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Isla Mujeres 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: Isla Mujeres or Lisbon?
Expats usually find Isla Mujeres gentler on the wallet – expenses run 100% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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