Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Ciudad del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Ciudad del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $1,229 in Ciudad del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,989 in Ciudad del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $2,748 in Ciudad del Carmen.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 85% more expensive than in Ciudad del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Ciudad del Carmen is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$11.61 MX$197

51.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$47.78 MX$811

34.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$9.17 MX$156

27.04%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$3.84 MX$65.2

-15.10%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$1.50 MX$25.44

66.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$1.09 MX$18.45

53.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$2.98 MX$50.6

16.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$4.29 MX$72.8

-16.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.77 MX$29.95

-33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$2.87 MX$48.72

-32.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.79 MX$30.38

-12.85%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$2.56 MX$43.43

56.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$9.05 MX$154

46.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$9.22 MX$156

-8.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$12.43 MX$211

46.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$2.86 MX$48.49

-18.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.60 MX$27.16

8.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$2.11 MX$35.73

-8.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.97 MX$33.36

34.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$2.14 MX$36.27

-11.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.97 MX$33.36

7.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.48 MX$25.04

-2.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$1.17 MX$19.77

-31.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$4.70 MX$79.7

49.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$11.60 MX$197

-48.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$2.00 MX$34.00

-32.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$3.41 MX$57.9

-36.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.69 MX$11.68

244.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$2.81 MX$47.67

49.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$2.10 MX$35.66

-47.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$11.59 MX$197

48.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.57 MX$26.64

43.31%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$22.7K MX$384.6K

52.02%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$25.9K MX$439.4K

60.69%

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

$171 €147

$61.7 MX$1,047

177.00%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$24.16 MX$410

-21.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$31.86 MX$541

7.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$36.45 MX$618

36.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$21.72 MX$369

-10.17%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$5.57 MX$94.5

81.33%

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

$699 €603

$244 MX$4,136

186.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$5,028 MX$85.3K

253.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$58.5 MX$993

78.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$44.48 MX$755

7.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$108 MX$1,826

-5.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$91.9 MX$1,560

39.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$639 MX$10.8K

160.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$417 MX$7,077

194.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$1,129 MX$19.2K

158.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$808 MX$13.7K

150.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$2,012 MX$34.1K

304.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$1,255 MX$21.3K

269.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

11.3

-66.55%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Ciudad del Carmen: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $639 in Ciudad del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $48.00 in Ciudad del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $281 vs $287, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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 Ciudad del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Ciudad del Carmen differ by about 85% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $1,229 including rent). Ciudad del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,402 in Lisbon and $1,844 in Ciudad del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $639 in Ciudad del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,268 per month in Lisbon versus $1,229 in Ciudad del Carmen – a 85% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,229 in Ciudad del Carmen versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ciudad del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Ciudad del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Ciudad del Carmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Ciudad del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 85% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.