Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Cuernavaca Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Cuernavaca

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $1,000 in Cuernavaca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,665 in Cuernavaca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $2,329 in Cuernavaca.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 126% more expensive than Cuernavaca, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Cuernavaca is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.73

$9.41 MX$162

69.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.6

$36.50 MX$626

73.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.95

$6.95 MX$119

49.35%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.40

$2.25 MX$38.69

24.00%

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

$2.34 €2.01

$1.30 MX$22.25

80.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.78 MX$13.34

101.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.95

$2.31 MX$39.66

48.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.37

$3.09 MX$53.0

26.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.55 MX$26.54

-30.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.72 MX$29.59

2.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.34 MX$23.02

27.61%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.71

$1.86 MX$31.98

69.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.79

$8.11 MX$139

68.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.90

$6.21 MX$107

28.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.37

$13.05 MX$224

18.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$2.14 MX$36.73

7.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$1.33 MX$22.86

23.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$1.71 MX$29.38

13.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.17

$1.56 MX$26.83

60.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$1.73 MX$29.76

3.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.89 MX$32.37

6.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.96 MX$16.48

105.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.77 MX$13.26

9.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$4.10 MX$70.5

65.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.89

$8.47 MX$145

-33.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.12 MX$19.19

24.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.60

$2.89 MX$49.53

4.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.95

$0.55 MX$9.39

312.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.15

$26.25 MX$451

73.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.70

$1.88 MX$32.35

128.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$1.24 MX$21.30

-31.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.75

$9.47 MX$162

93.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.27 MX$21.87

56.69%

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

$35.0K €30.2K

$18.7K MX$320.9K

87.40%

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

$39.5K €34.1K

$20.7K MX$355.2K

91.09%

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

$146 €126

$60.5 MX$1,039

141.58%

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

$20.45 €17.62

$22.55 MX$387

-9.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.58

$28.25 MX$485

37.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.21

$22.93 MX$394

113.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.22

$15.70 MX$270

19.94%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.21

$5.43 MX$93.1

75.32%

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

$608 €524

$212 MX$3,634

187.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.2K

$4,925 MX$84.5K

235.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.5

$48.01 MX$824

116.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.29

$39.50 MX$678

6.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.5

$100 MX$1,721

-8.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$82.0 MX$1,408

46.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,397

$380 MX$6,529

326.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,092

$312 MX$5,354

306.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,626

$899 MX$15.4K

238.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,731

$773 MX$13.3K

159.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,602

$903 MX$15.5K

748.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,730

$632 MX$10.8K

585.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,366

$679 MX$11.6K

133.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

11.33

-66.37%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 8, 2026

Last update for Cuernavaca: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $380 in Cuernavaca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 134% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $36.00 in Cuernavaca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $224 per month, with Cuernavaca 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 Cuernavaca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cuernavaca is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 126% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Lisbon pays 134% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,621 in Lisbon versus $380 in Cuernavaca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Cuernavaca – a meal for two runs $36.00 versus $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,000 in Cuernavaca versus $2,263 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cuernavaca but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Cuernavaca the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cuernavaca is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lisbon, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Cuernavaca 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 Cuernavaca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 126% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.