Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Cuautla

For one person, living is cheaper in Cuautla: $1,245 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon, Portugal
Cuautla, Mexico
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Cuautla
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,245
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Cuautla

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 Cuautla actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,245 in Cuautla.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • Cuautla $1,245

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $2,023 in Cuautla.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • Cuautla $2,023

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $2,801 in Cuautla.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • Cuautla $2,801

Living in Lisbon is roughly 77% more expensive than in Cuautla, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 62% above, Cuautla is 8% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Cuautla
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.85
$10.92 MX$205
52.47%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.1
$61.4 MX$1,150
0.62%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.13
$9.67 MX$181
17.48%
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.65
$3.51 MX$65.7
-15.38%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.04
$1.63 MX$30.49
40.49%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.55
$1.08 MX$20.16
61.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.04
$3.20 MX$60.0
6.25%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.95
$5.50 MX$103
-39.82%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Cuautla
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.03
$1.91 MX$35.81
-39.27%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.71
$2.70 MX$50.6
-29.26%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.35
$1.98 MX$37.05
-23.74%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.59
$2.71 MX$50.7
48.34%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.54
$8.53 MX$160
51.70%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.94
$8.71 MX$163
-10.79%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.85
$13.62 MX$255
30.40%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.06
$3.43 MX$64.3
-32.94%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.55
$1.64 MX$30.67
5.49%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.66
$2.11 MX$39.62
-11.85%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.31
$1.92 MX$36.02
34.90%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.62
$1.79 MX$33.56
1.68%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$1.79 MX$33.49
10.06%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.31
$1.50 MX$28.02
-2.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$1.16 MX$21.82
-37.93%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.87
$4.46 MX$83.5
47.53%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.00
$17.34 MX$325
-67.65%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$2.10 MX$39.37
-35.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.91
$3.78 MX$70.9
-43.39%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Cuautla
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 €2.08
$0.63 MX$11.84
269.84%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.68 €39.86
$29.38 MX$550
52.08%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.85 €3.43
$3.24 MX$60.8
18.83%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.95
$2.50 MX$46.93
-57.20%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.69
$10.67 MX$200
54.26%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.96
$1.25 MX$23.40
76.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.5K
$23.8K MX$446.3K
43.57%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.5K
$23.5K MX$439.6K
65.07%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Cuautla
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €144
$57.5 MX$1,077
180.48%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.43
$26.76 MX$501
-31.20%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.21
$24.76 MX$464
32.23%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Cuautla
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €39.74
$33.01 MX$619
34.96%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.04
$19.49 MX$365
-2.00%
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.56
$7.35 MX$138
30.61%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Cuautla
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €596
$259 MX$4,854
157.79%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.7K
$4,899 MX$91.8K
259.55%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Cuautla
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.0
$52.7 MX$988
93.55%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.67
$43.41 MX$813
2.42%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €87.9
$97.2 MX$1,821
1.38%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €110
$94.9 MX$1,778
30.36%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Cuautla
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 €1,435
$649 MX$12.2K
147.84%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,062
$414 MX$7,750
187.75%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,812 €2,509
$952 MX$17.8K
195.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,013 €1,796
$783 MX$14.7K
157.00%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,839 €6,994
$2,039 MX$38.2K
284.44%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,576 €4,082
$976 MX$18.3K
368.59%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Cuautla
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,405
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
11.99
-67.89%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Cuautla: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Cuautla
$414 65.2% $777
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
Cuautla
$302 10.7% $29
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
Cuautla
$196 19.1% $46
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
Cuautla
$109 48.7% $103
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Cuautla
$130 21.8% $36
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Cuautla
$48 25.2% $16
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Cuautla
$48 24.6% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $649 in Cuautla. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $61 in Cuautla. Groceries flip the comparison at $272 vs $302, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇲🇽 Cuautla
🕒 Local time
22:51 10:51 PM
16:51 4:51 PM
6 h behind Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
157,336
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.74 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 21 MXN (100 MXN = 4.76 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Cuautla 8,700 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Cuautla

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 Cuautla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cuautla cheaper than Lisbon?
Cuautla is about 44% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $3,315 in Lisbon and $1,868 in Cuautla 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.
What is the rent difference between Lisbon and Cuautla?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $649 in Cuautla. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $668 in Lisbon versus $259 in Cuautla. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Cuautla runs roughly 34% less than in Lisbon. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Lisbon or in Cuautla?
At $1,245 in Cuautla versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cuautla but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Cuautla the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Lisbon or in Cuautla?
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.

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