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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,316 per month in Lisbon vs $1,487 in Cancun, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,361 per month in Lisbon vs $2,433 in Cancun, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,405 per month in Lisbon vs $3,378 in Cancun, rent included.

Lisbon costs about 56% more than Cancun, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Lisbon and Cancun sit above the global median – Lisbon by 69%, Cancun by 8%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.92

$11.92 MX$203

45.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.6

$58.9 MX$1,001

7.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.83

$12.04 MX$205

-5.40%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.75

$4.17 MX$70.8

-23.50%

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

$2.45 €2.11

$1.39 MX$23.68

76.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.88 MX$14.95

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.10

$3.30 MX$56.2

8.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.93

$4.49 MX$76.3

-24.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.77 MX$30.00

-29.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$2.72 MX$46.14

-27.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.78 MX$30.31

-14.61%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.49

$2.88 MX$48.88

40.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.68

$10.41 MX$177

30.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.23

$9.12 MX$155

-8.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.74

$14.27 MX$243

27.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$2.92 MX$49.59

-21.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.70 MX$28.85

2.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$3.24 MX$55.1

-42.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.27

$2.37 MX$40.28

10.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$2.03 MX$34.56

-5.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$1.96 MX$33.35

6.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.19 MX$20.30

21.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.28 MX$21.81

-34.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.85

$4.80 MX$81.6

41.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.93

$10.51 MX$179

-45.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.63 MX$27.76

-15.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$2.85 MX$48.43

-22.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.07

$0.68 MX$11.48

252.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.35

$30.36 MX$516

54.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.60

$4.57 MX$77.7

-8.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$3.14 MX$53.4

-63.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.25

$14.75 MX$251

19.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.57 MX$26.72

47.77%

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

$35.3K €30.5K

$22.5K MX$382.9K

56.81%

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

$41.4K €35.7K

$25.9K MX$440.4K

59.93%

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

$170 €147

$177 MX$3,002

-3.57%

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

$19.34 €16.68

$25.68 MX$436

-24.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €29.01

$40.90 MX$695

-17.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.48

$34.82 MX$592

38.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.16

$14.59 MX$248

36.39%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.56

$7.76 MX$132

27.84%

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

$717 €619

$222 MX$3,772

223.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.1K

$5,926 MX$100.7K

194.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.4

$59.3 MX$1,007

76.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.49

$58.7 MX$998

-20.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.2

$81.3 MX$1,382

27.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$99.8 MX$1,695

24.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,446

$699 MX$11.9K

140.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,096

$482 MX$8,188

163.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,574

$1,495 MX$25.4K

99.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,718

$1,124 MX$19.1K

77.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,750

$1,356 MX$23.0K

477.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,017

$2,103 MX$35.7K

121.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,365

$847 MX$14.4K

86.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

11.45

-66.90%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Cancun: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,677 in Lisbon versus $699 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 87% 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 $63.0 in Lisbon versus $59.0 in Cancun. Groceries tell a different story – $283 in Lisbon vs $298 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: $2,316 in Lisbon, $1,487 in Cancun – roughly 56% apart. Lisbon costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,474 per month in Lisbon and $2,231 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 $717 per month in Lisbon and $222 in Cancun. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 5% 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 $1,487, than in Lisbon at $2,316. 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 $1,487 in Cancun to $2,316 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.