Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Cancun

For one person, living is cheaper in Cancun: $1,398 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Cancun
Learn more

Cancun Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Cancun

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,398

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Cancun

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Cancun actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,223 per month in Lisbon vs $1,398 in Cancun, rent included.

Lisbon $2,223
Cancun $1,398

A couple spends around $3,271 per month in Lisbon vs $2,267 in Cancun, rent included.

Lisbon $3,271
Cancun $2,267

A family of three spends $4,319 per month in Lisbon vs $3,136 in Cancun, rent included.

Lisbon $4,319
Cancun $3,136

Lisbon costs about 59% more than Cancun, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Lisbon and Cancun sit above the global median – Lisbon by 65%, Cancun by 4%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.50 €14.67

$10.84 MX$200

52.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 €54.5

$53.8 MX$994

13.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.27 €10.03

$11.55 MX$213

-2.42%

Cappuccino

$3.06 €2.72

$3.86 MX$71.4

-20.73%

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

$2.26 €2.01

$1.34 MX$24.78

68.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.54

$0.84 MX$15.57

105.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 €3.02

$3.06 MX$56.6

10.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 €3.02

$4.13 MX$76.3

-17.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 €1.00

$1.64 MX$30.29

-31.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.65

$2.58 MX$47.72

-27.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 €1.36

$1.68 MX$31.12

-8.93%

Eggs

$3.96 €3.53

$2.80 MX$51.7

41.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.76 €11.35

$9.89 MX$183

29.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.02

$8.81 MX$163

-10.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.97 €15.09

$14.21 MX$263

19.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 €2.02

$2.93 MX$54.1

-22.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

$1.67 MX$30.88

4.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

$3.01 MX$55.5

-38.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.57 €2.28

$2.19 MX$40.55

17.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.65

$1.94 MX$35.91

-4.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 €1.80

$1.96 MX$36.26

3.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.28

$1.15 MX$21.23

25.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.73

$1.22 MX$22.51

-32.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.56 €5.83

$4.34 MX$80.3

51.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.62 €5.00

$10.03 MX$185

-43.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 €1.14

$1.59 MX$29.38

-19.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 €1.84

$2.80 MX$51.8

-26.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 €2.09

$0.68 MX$12.66

245.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.18 €39.30

$29.10 MX$538

51.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 €3.55

$4.33 MX$79.9

-7.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 €0.97

$2.82 MX$52.1

-61.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.64 €14.81

$13.71 MX$253

21.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.03

$1.53 MX$28.28

49.02%

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

$33.7K €30.0K

$21.3K MX$394.3K

57.83%

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

$39.3K €35.0K

$23.8K MX$439.8K

65.09%

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

$167 €149

$170 MX$3,149

-1.71%

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

$18.80 €16.72

$23.44 MX$433

-19.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.09 €29.43

$38.92 MX$719

-14.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.01 €40.93

$32.26 MX$596

42.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.19 €17.07

$13.21 MX$244

45.27%

Cinema Ticket

$9.84 €8.75

$7.29 MX$135

34.98%

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

$677 €602

$204 MX$3,761

232.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K €15.1K

$5,396 MX$99.7K

213.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €90.1

$54.1 MX$999

87.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 €40.70

$55.3 MX$1,021

-17.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100.0 €88.9

$74.0 MX$1,368

35.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €109

$94.0 MX$1,737

30.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 €1,436

$660 MX$12.2K

144.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 €1,065

$457 MX$8,445

161.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,862 €2,545

$1,404 MX$26.0K

103.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,990 €1,770

$1,059 MX$19.6K

87.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,577 €6,740

$1,266 MX$23.4K

498.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,307 €3,831

$1,945 MX$35.9K

121.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,588 €1,412

$801 MX$14.8K

98.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

11.45

-66.38%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Last update for Cancun: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9%

Cancun

$457 32.7% 61.8% $740

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$269 12.1%

Cancun

$287 20.5% 6.4% $17

Eating Out

Lisbon

$242 10.9%

Cancun

$200 14.3% 17.4% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$219 9.9%

Cancun

$233 16.6% 6.1% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Cancun

$125 8.9% 25% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$66 3%

Cancun

$47 3.4% 28.7% $19

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.8%

Cancun

$50 3.6% 20.2% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,614 in Lisbon versus $660 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 98% 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 $61.0 in Lisbon versus $54.0 in Cancun. Groceries tell a different story – $269 in Lisbon vs $287 in Cancun – so Lisbon wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇲🇽 Cancun

🕒 Local time

18:35 6:35 PM

12:35 12:35 PM

6 h behind Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

888,797

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.78 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lisbon Cancun 7,520 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
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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

Lisbon vs Cancun: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,223 in Lisbon, $1,398 in Cancun – roughly 59% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,335 per month in Lisbon and $2,098 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 $677 per month in Lisbon and $204 in Cancun. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 6% 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 $1,398, than in Lisbon at $2,223. 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 $1,398 in Cancun to $2,223 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.