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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,126 in Ciudad del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,784 in Ciudad del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $2,442 in Ciudad del Carmen.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 96% more expensive than Ciudad del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Ciudad del Carmen is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.81

$10.67 MX$186

49.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €56.2

$38.59 MX$674

67.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.12

$7.97 MX$139

31.87%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.49

$3.27 MX$57.1

-12.23%

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

$2.24 €1.95

$1.28 MX$22.40

75.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.95 MX$16.64

57.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.03

$2.44 MX$42.60

43.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.37

$3.84 MX$67.1

1.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.99

$1.47 MX$25.70

-22.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.52

$2.52 MX$43.98

-30.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.52

$1.61 MX$28.09

9.32%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.79

$2.29 MX$39.95

40.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.71

$8.17 MX$143

65.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.87

$7.84 MX$137

0.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.77

$10.38 MX$181

52.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €2.00

$2.63 MX$45.85

-12.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.48

$1.43 MX$25.00

18.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.74

$1.76 MX$30.78

14.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.13

$1.61 MX$28.08

52.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.60

$1.92 MX$33.55

-4.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.74

$2.01 MX$35.16

-0.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.25 MX$21.79

54.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$1.03 MX$17.95

-23.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.73

$4.29 MX$74.9

54.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.97

$9.39 MX$164

-39.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.59 MX$27.79

-13.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.58

$2.72 MX$47.47

9.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.06

$0.66 MX$11.48

259.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.53

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.72

$2.61 MX$45.55

64.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.71

$1.56 MX$27.21

-47.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.88

$8.28 MX$145

121.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.79

$1.27 MX$22.20

62.20%

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

$34.3K €29.7K

$21.5K MX$375.3K

59.51%

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

$39.3K €34.1K

$22.2K MX$387.6K

77.06%

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

$148 €128

$55.9 MX$977

164.43%

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

$20.52 €17.80

$22.36 MX$390

-8.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.37

$27.76 MX$485

42.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.51

$36.16 MX$631

32.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.42

$15.99 MX$279

18.32%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.97

$4.72 MX$82.5

94.49%

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

$614 €533

$208 MX$3,631

195.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.9K

$3,647 MX$63.7K

340.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.8

$52.4 MX$915

99.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.49

$38.89 MX$679

8.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €81.5

$88.7 MX$1,549

5.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €104

$80.8 MX$1,411

48.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,412

$501 MX$8,750

224.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,089

$401 MX$7,007

212.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,629

$950 MX$16.6K

219.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,753

$755 MX$13.2K

167.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,767

$2,055 MX$35.9K

279.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,707

$1,172 MX$20.5K

264.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,391

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Ciudad del Carmen: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $501 in Ciudad del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $39.00 in Ciudad del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $246 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 96% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,126 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 $3,315 in Lisbon and $1,690 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $501 in Ciudad del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $1,126 in Ciudad del Carmen – a 96% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,126 in Ciudad del Carmen versus $2,210 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 96% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.