Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Ajijic Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Ajijic

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,268 per month in Lisbon vs $1,361 in Ajijic, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,348 per month in Lisbon vs $2,115 in Ajijic, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,429 per month in Lisbon vs $2,869 in Ajijic, rent included.

Lisbon costs about 67% more than Ajijic, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Lisbon sits 64% above the global median, while Ajijic is 1% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$10.34 MX$175

69.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$47.48 MX$805

35.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$7.57 MX$128

53.90%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$3.85 MX$65.2

-15.32%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$1.81 MX$30.71

37.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$1.26 MX$21.43

32.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$2.33 MX$39.52

48.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$3.64 MX$61.8

-1.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.54 MX$26.10

-23.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$2.31 MX$39.20

-15.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.19 MX$20.20

31.09%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$2.46 MX$41.76

63.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$8.81 MX$149

50.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$8.77 MX$149

-3.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$7.85 MX$133

132.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$2.39 MX$40.52

-2.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.36 MX$23.10

27.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.66 MX$28.18

16.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.90 MX$32.28

38.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.73 MX$29.34

9.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.44 MX$24.36

46.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.10 MX$18.73

30.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.97 MX$16.44

-17.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$4.70 MX$79.8

49.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$9.69 MX$164

-38.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.65 MX$27.91

-17.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.43 MX$24.31

50.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.70 MX$11.83

240.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$1.31 MX$22.15

219.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$4.81 MX$81.6

-77.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$12.02 MX$204

43.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.53 MX$25.94

47.06%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$23.2K MX$393.5K

48.59%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$26.2K MX$444.0K

59.02%

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

$171 €147

$59.3 MX$1,005

188.41%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$15.70 MX$266

21.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$26.17 MX$444

30.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$26.81 MX$455

85.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$5.77 MX$97.9

238.13%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$5.09 MX$86.4

98.43%

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

$699 €603

$228 MX$3,869

206.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$3,093 MX$52.5K

474.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$48.14 MX$817

117.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$17.70 MX$300

171.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$73.7 MX$1,250

38.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$75.3 MX$1,277

70.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$917 MX$15.6K

81.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$666 MX$11.3K

84.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$1,578 MX$26.8K

84.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$1,308 MX$22.2K

54.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$3,186 MX$54.0K

155.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$1,749 MX$29.7K

165.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$594 MX$10.1K

172.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

11.2

-66.25%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Ajijic: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,661 in Lisbon versus $917 in Ajijic. 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 173% higher in Lisbon, 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 $64.0 in Lisbon versus $47.00 in Ajijic. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $281 vs $238 – making Ajijic the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Lisbon vs Ajijic: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Lisbon is pricier by about 67%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,402 per month in Lisbon and $2,042 in Ajijic. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ajijic, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,268 in Lisbon and $1,361 in Ajijic. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $699 per month in Lisbon and $228 in Ajijic. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ajijic, where all-in costs run around $1,361, than in Lisbon at $2,268. In Ajijic it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ajijic – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Ajijic. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lisbon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.