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: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $1,012 in Cuernavaca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $1,682 in Cuernavaca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $2,352 in Cuernavaca.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 120% more expensive than Cuernavaca, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Cuernavaca is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.81

$9.51 MX$165

70.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.1

$37.72 MX$656

71.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.86

$7.03 MX$122

47.65%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$2.32 MX$40.34

19.40%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$1.26 MX$21.93

78.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.34

$0.77 MX$13.45

103.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.98

$2.19 MX$38.02

59.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.42

$3.22 MX$56.0

24.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.56 MX$27.06

-30.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.77 MX$30.87

-1.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.48

$1.33 MX$23.12

30.83%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.71

$1.89 MX$32.87

68.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.47

$8.26 MX$144

62.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.83

$6.26 MX$109

27.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.74

$12.99 MX$226

23.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$2.10 MX$36.50

8.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.47

$1.31 MX$22.87

31.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$1.71 MX$29.76

13.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.17

$1.55 MX$26.99

63.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.56

$1.76 MX$30.69

3.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.74

$1.91 MX$33.27

6.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$0.99 MX$17.19

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.71 MX$12.32

19.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.85

$4.16 MX$72.5

64.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.93

$8.56 MX$149

-32.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.15 MX$19.99

19.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$2.94 MX$51.2

-1.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$0.52 MX$9.03

338.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.00

$26.90 MX$468

74.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.48

$1.87 MX$32.48

118.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.19 MX$20.69

-31.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.60

$9.06 MX$158

101.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.71

$1.29 MX$22.47

55.81%

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

$35.3K €30.1K

$18.5K MX$321.7K

90.73%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$20.6K MX$358.5K

86.79%

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

$145 €124

$60.2 MX$1,047

141.53%

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

$20.96 €17.90

$22.63 MX$394

-7.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.21

$27.78 MX$483

44.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.66

$22.94 MX$399

112.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €15.97

$15.76 MX$274

18.59%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.74

$5.34 MX$93.0

69.66%

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

$607 €518

$214 MX$3,728

183.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €13.9K

$4,891 MX$85.1K

233.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.4

$48.02 MX$836

117.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €34.97

$39.62 MX$689

3.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €79.9

$101 MX$1,758

-7.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$84.3 MX$1,467

40.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,370

$371 MX$6,459

332.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,055

$318 MX$5,541

288.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,601

$910 MX$15.8K

234.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,756

$772 MX$13.4K

166.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,583

$928 MX$16.1K

730.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,644

$635 MX$11.0K

571.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,353

$683 MX$11.9K

132.00%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Cuernavaca: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $371 in Cuernavaca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 132% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $38.00 in Cuernavaca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $225 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 120% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Lisbon pays 132% 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: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $371 in Cuernavaca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% 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 $38.00 versus $65.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,012 in Cuernavaca versus $2,227 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 120% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.