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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,291 per month in Lisbon vs $1,367 in Cancun, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,322 per month in Lisbon vs $2,240 in Cancun, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,354 per month in Lisbon vs $3,112 in Cancun, rent included.

Lisbon costs about 68% more than Cancun, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Lisbon and Cancun sit above the global median – Lisbon by 71%, Cancun by 2%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.15

$13.37 MX$234

21.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.3

$54.0 MX$943

17.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.02

$10.08 MX$176

2.38%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.47

$3.56 MX$62.3

-20.51%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$1.58 MX$27.66

44.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.95 MX$16.68

66.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.97

$2.97 MX$52.0

14.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$4.59 MX$80.2

-12.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.44 MX$25.11

-24.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$2.50 MX$43.77

-30.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.84 MX$32.19

-4.35%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.61 MX$45.57

21.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.53

$11.54 MX$202

14.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.96

$8.40 MX$147

-5.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.57

$10.97 MX$192

41.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$3.14 MX$55.0

-24.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.63 MX$28.58

4.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.75

$3.13 MX$54.7

-35.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.12

$2.08 MX$36.36

16.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.18 MX$38.15

-19.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.23 MX$39.02

-8.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.08 MX$18.84

77.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.32 MX$23.13

-35.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.75

$4.26 MX$74.4

54.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.87

$10.43 MX$182

-46.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.16

$1.75 MX$30.58

-24.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.63 MX$46.02

12.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.65 MX$11.30

250.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.01

$59.1 MX$1,033

-22.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.69

$4.34 MX$75.8

-2.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$2.58 MX$45.20

-68.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.11

$10.01 MX$175

84.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.28 MX$22.34

62.50%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$29.8K MX$520.8K

16.40%

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

$39.2K €34.2K

$23.7K MX$415.1K

64.94%

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

$148 €129

$115 MX$2,018

28.26%

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

$20.46 €17.88

$22.90 MX$400

-10.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.56

$35.36 MX$618

11.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.93

$25.30 MX$442

89.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.25

$24.43 MX$427

-23.86%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.06

$5.95 MX$104

54.96%

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

$616 €538

$202 MX$3,533

204.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$5,302 MX$92.7K

210.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.7

$54.2 MX$947

89.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.47

$39.72 MX$695

5.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.8

$82.2 MX$1,437

15.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$108 MX$1,881

13.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,426

$626 MX$10.9K

160.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,077

$457 MX$7,998

169.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,707

$1,282 MX$22.4K

141.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,775

$978 MX$17.1K

107.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,842

$1,287 MX$22.5K

508.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,835

$2,030 MX$35.5K

116.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,404

$803 MX$14.0K

100.05%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Cancun: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,633 in Lisbon versus $626 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 $63.0 in Lisbon versus $54.0 in Cancun. Groceries tell a different story – $267 in Lisbon vs $281 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: $2,291 in Lisbon, $1,367 in Cancun – roughly 68% apart. Lisbon costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,437 per month in Lisbon and $2,051 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 $616 per month in Lisbon and $202 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 $1,367, than in Lisbon at $2,291. 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 $1,367 in Cancun to $2,291 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.