Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Cancun Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Cancun

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,210 per month in Lisbon vs $1,365 in Cancun, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,311 per month in Lisbon vs $2,243 in Cancun, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,411 per month in Lisbon vs $3,121 in Cancun, rent included.

Lisbon costs about 62% more than Cancun, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Lisbon and Cancun sit above the global median – Lisbon by 65%, Cancun by 2%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$13.37 MX$231

19.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$53.7 MX$928

20.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$10.13 MX$175

3.75%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$3.44 MX$59.5

-16.57%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$1.58 MX$27.37

41.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.90 MX$15.58

66.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$3.04 MX$52.6

14.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$4.48 MX$77.4

-13.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.43 MX$24.78

-20.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$2.54 MX$43.94

-31.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.93 MX$33.40

-8.81%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.63 MX$45.41

22.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$11.32 MX$196

19.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$8.69 MX$150

-8.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$10.72 MX$185

48.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$3.25 MX$56.1

-28.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.57 MX$27.13

8.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$3.14 MX$54.3

-35.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.20 MX$38.04

11.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$2.14 MX$37.01

-14.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$2.31 MX$39.97

-13.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.08 MX$18.61

78.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$1.28 MX$22.14

-38.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$4.20 MX$72.6

57.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$10.25 MX$177

-44.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.68 MX$28.99

-18.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.62 MX$45.24

13.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.60 MX$10.42

295.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$60.6 MX$1,048

-24.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$4.21 MX$72.8

1.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$2.48 MX$42.83

-66.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$9.97 MX$172

83.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.33 MX$23.01

54.89%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$30.5K MX$528.1K

12.28%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$24.1K MX$416.6K

63.13%

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

$148 €127

$116 MX$2,000

27.92%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$23.15 MX$400

-11.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$36.11 MX$625

9.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$25.40 MX$439

88.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$24.07 MX$416

-21.40%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$6.06 MX$105

51.49%

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

$614 €528

$197 MX$3,413

211.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$5,199 MX$89.9K

208.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$53.9 MX$932

94.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$39.89 MX$690

5.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$82.7 MX$1,430

13.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$112 MX$1,930

7.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$616 MX$10.7K

164.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$459 MX$7,931

173.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$1,267 MX$21.9K

139.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$1,012 MX$17.5K

99.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$2,189 MX$37.9K

256.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$2,287 MX$39.6K

86.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$803 MX$13.9K

99.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

11.42

-66.64%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Cancun: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,628 in Lisbon versus $616 in Cancun. 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 100% 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 $65.0 in Lisbon versus $54.0 in Cancun. Groceries tell a different story – $269 in Lisbon vs $282 in Cancun – so Lisbon wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Cancun: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon, $1,365 in Cancun – roughly 62% apart. Lisbon costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,315 per month in Lisbon and $2,048 in Cancun. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $614 per month in Lisbon and $197 in Cancun. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in Lisbon – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Cancun, where all-in costs run around $1,365, than in Lisbon at $2,210. In Cancun it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Lisbon has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,365 in Cancun to $2,210 in Lisbon. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Cancun. 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.