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: $2,243 in Lisbon versus $1,100 in Ciudad del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,758 in Ciudad del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,387 in Lisbon versus $2,415 in Ciudad del Carmen.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 104% more expensive than Ciudad del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 67% above, Ciudad del Carmen is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.73 €13.42

$10.60 MX$184

48.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 €53.9

$38.27 MX$663

65.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €8.80

$8.01 MX$139

28.84%

Cappuccino

$2.81 €2.40

$3.37 MX$58.5

-16.62%

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

$2.33 €1.99

$1.28 MX$22.17

82.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.90 MX$15.53

67.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 €2.87

$2.31 MX$40.11

45.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.34

$3.93 MX$68.1

-0.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.92

$1.49 MX$25.87

-27.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.49

$2.64 MX$45.74

-33.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.61 MX$27.90

8.70%

Eggs

$3.10 €2.64

$2.33 MX$40.35

33.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.28 €11.33

$8.19 MX$142

62.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 €6.70

$7.75 MX$134

1.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.05 €13.69

$10.50 MX$182

52.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$2.62 MX$45.47

-8.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.47

$1.44 MX$25.00

19.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$1.71 MX$29.55

15.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.17

$1.59 MX$27.49

60.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.91 MX$33.10

-6.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$1.95 MX$33.84

1.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 €1.67

$1.20 MX$20.75

63.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.71

$0.99 MX$17.07

-15.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.82

$4.28 MX$74.2

59.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.85 €4.99

$12.29 MX$213

-52.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.54 MX$26.67

-10.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 €2.49

$2.81 MX$48.71

3.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €1.95

$0.66 MX$11.44

246.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.88 €39.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 €3.51

$2.66 MX$46.11

54.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.69

$1.61 MX$27.84

-49.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.94 €16.16

$8.07 MX$140

134.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.78

$1.27 MX$21.99

64.57%

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

$35.1K €30.0K

$21.3K MX$368.4K

65.21%

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

$39.7K €33.9K

$22.2K MX$384.0K

79.26%

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

$150 €128

$56.0 MX$971

166.93%

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

$20.49 €17.48

$22.33 MX$387

-8.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.15 €33.40

$28.70 MX$497

36.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.35

$35.65 MX$618

39.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.47 €15.76

$15.65 MX$271

18.02%

Cinema Ticket

$9.20 €7.84

$4.53 MX$78.5

103.09%

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

$624 €533

$203 MX$3,512

208.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K €13.6K

$3,642 MX$63.1K

336.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €87.2

$53.2 MX$922

92.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 €34.87

$39.33 MX$682

3.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 €81.6

$89.2 MX$1,546

7.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €103

$79.4 MX$1,376

52.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 €1,410

$499 MX$8,648

231.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 €1,051

$399 MX$6,910

209.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,043 €2,596

$916 MX$15.9K

232.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,059 €1,756

$778 MX$13.5K

164.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,879 €6,720

$2,152 MX$37.3K

266.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,303 €3,671

$1,172 MX$20.3K

267.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,566 €1,336

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

11.48

-66.81%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 21, 2026

Last update for Ciudad del Carmen: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,653 in Lisbon and $499 in Ciudad del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63 in Lisbon vs $38 in Ciudad del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $270 vs $253 per month, with Ciudad del Carmen cheaper across the board.

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 104% in total monthly costs ($2,243 vs $1,100 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 $3,365 in Lisbon and $1,651 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: $1,653 in Lisbon versus $499 in Ciudad del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,243 per month in Lisbon versus $1,100 in Ciudad del Carmen – a 104% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,100 in Ciudad del Carmen versus $2,243 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 104% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.