Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Leon, Mexico and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Leon: $1,191 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Leon, Mexico
Lisbon, Portugal
Leon
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,191
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,191 per month in Leon vs $2,210 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Leon $1,191
  • Lisbon $2,210

A couple spends around $1,930 per month in Leon vs $3,275 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Leon $1,930
  • Lisbon $3,275

A family of three spends $2,669 per month in Leon vs $4,341 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Leon $2,669
  • Lisbon $4,341

Leon is about 46% cheaper than Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Leon sits 12% below the global median, while Lisbon is 62% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Leon
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.96 MX$204
$16.65 €14.95
-34.17%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$53.8 MX$1,003
$61.7 €55.5
-12.88%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.66 MX$161
$11.36 €10.20
-23.77%
Cappuccino
$4.01 MX$74.8
$2.97 €2.67
35.02%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.55 MX$28.88
$2.29 €2.06
-32.31%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.23 MX$22.85
$1.74 €1.56
-29.31%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.92 MX$54.4
$3.40 €3.06
-14.12%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.86 MX$71.9
$3.31 €2.97
16.62%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Leon
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.75 MX$32.57
$1.16 €1.04
50.86%
White Bread (500g)
$2.72 MX$50.7
$1.91 €1.72
42.41%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.72 MX$32.01
$1.51 €1.36
13.91%
Eggs
$3.27 MX$60.9
$4.02 €3.61
-18.66%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.81 MX$127
$12.94 €11.62
-47.37%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.52 MX$140
$7.77 €6.98
-3.22%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.83 MX$202
$17.76 €15.95
-39.02%
Apples (1kg)
$2.37 MX$44.23
$2.30 €2.07
3.04%
Banana (1kg)
$1.37 MX$25.47
$1.73 €1.56
-20.81%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.78 MX$33.27
$1.86 €1.67
-4.30%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.44 MX$26.83
$2.59 €2.33
-44.40%
Potato (1kg)
$1.97 MX$36.63
$1.82 €1.64
8.24%
Onion (1kg)
$2.07 MX$38.64
$1.97 €1.77
5.08%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.33 MX$24.85
$1.47 €1.32
-9.52%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.73 MX$13.58
$0.72 €0.65
1.39%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.71 MX$125
$6.58 €5.91
1.98%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.26 MX$247
$5.61 €5.04
136.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.33 MX$43.41
$1.36 €1.22
71.32%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.58 MX$66.8
$2.14 €1.92
67.29%
🚌 Getting Around
Leon
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.78 MX$14.55
$2.33 €2.10
-66.52%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$37.94 MX$707
$44.68 €40.14
-15.09%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.72 MX$50.8
$3.85 €3.46
-29.35%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.62 MX$48.85
$1.07 €0.96
144.86%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$14.76 MX$275
$16.46 €14.79
-10.33%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.40 MX$26.06
$2.20 €1.98
-36.36%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.5K MX$457.4K
$34.2K €30.7K
-28.23%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.3K MX$433.6K
$38.7K €34.8K
-39.93%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Leon
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$21.19 MX$395
$161 €145
-86.86%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$39.64 MX$739
$18.41 €16.54
115.32%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$57.5 MX$1,072
$32.74 €29.41
75.72%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Leon
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$36.72 MX$685
$44.55 €40.02
-17.58%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$33.64 MX$627
$19.10 €17.16
76.13%
Cinema Ticket
$6.48 MX$121
$9.60 €8.62
-32.50%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Leon
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$178 MX$3,320
$668 €600
-73.32%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,783 MX$70.5K
$17.6K €15.8K
-78.52%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Leon
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$55.6 MX$1,036
$102 €91.6
-45.51%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$65.2 MX$1,215
$44.46 €39.94
46.63%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$97.5 MX$1,818
$98.5 €88.5
-1.03%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$116 MX$2,163
$124 €111
-6.16%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Leon
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$525 MX$9,783
$1,608 €1,445
-67.37%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$362 MX$6,746
$1,190 €1,069
-69.59%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$771 MX$14.4K
$2,812 €2,526
-72.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$678 MX$12.6K
$2,013 €1,808
-66.32%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$7,839 €7,042
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$4,576 €4,110
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Leon
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$528 MX$9,838
$1,575 €1,415
-66.49%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.6
3.85
201.30%

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

Last update for Leon: October 24, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Leon
$362
Lisbon
$1.2K 229% $828
Groceries & Markets
Leon
$259
Lisbon
$272 5.2% $13
Eating Out
Leon
$195
Lisbon
$243 24.3% $47
Clothing & Footwear
Leon
$150
Lisbon
$166 10.3% $15
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Leon
$118
Lisbon
$212 79.4% $94
Getting Around
Leon
$57
Lisbon
$63 11.1% $6.3
Sport & Entertainment
Leon
$50
Lisbon
$64 28.3% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $525 in Leon versus $1,608 in Lisbon. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Lisbon are about 3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54 in Leon versus $62 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $259 vs $272 – making Leon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Leon
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
15:19 3:19 PM
21:19 9:19 PM
6 h ahead of Leon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,579,803
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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Leon Lisbon 8,770 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Leon
  • 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
Leon vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Leon or Lisbon?
Lisbon costs about 86% more than Leon, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. 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 Leon and in Lisbon?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,787 per month in Leon and $3,315 in Lisbon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Leon or Lisbon?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Leon, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $525 there versus $1,608 in Lisbon.
Are groceries more expensive in Leon or in Lisbon?
Groceries cost about 5% more in Lisbon, though the gap depends on what you buy.
How do dining costs compare in Leon and in Lisbon?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $54 in Leon and $62 in Lisbon. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Leon or in Lisbon?
$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,191 in Leon and $2,210 in Lisbon. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Leon – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Should I move to Leon or to Lisbon?
If budget matters most, go with Leon. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lisbon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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