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: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $994 in Cuernavaca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,697 in Cuernavaca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $2,399 in Cuernavaca.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 129% more expensive than in Cuernavaca, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Cuernavaca is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.74

$9.86 MX$172

59.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.3

$37.73 MX$658

68.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.11

$7.00 MX$122

49.29%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.54

$2.34 MX$40.90

24.36%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$1.32 MX$22.98

73.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.31

$0.74 MX$12.83

102.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.11

$2.27 MX$39.63

56.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.46

$3.09 MX$53.9

28.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.53 MX$26.75

-29.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.78 MX$31.01

-1.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.48

$1.38 MX$24.07

23.19%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.83

$1.81 MX$31.55

79.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.55

$8.16 MX$142

62.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.72

$6.31 MX$110

22.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.75

$13.15 MX$229

19.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.99

$2.11 MX$36.88

8.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.44

$1.27 MX$22.24

30.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.76

$1.74 MX$30.29

16.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.16

$1.56 MX$27.27

58.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.56

$1.79 MX$31.30

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.80

$1.87 MX$32.64

10.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.72

$0.98 MX$17.01

101.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.73

$0.72 MX$12.56

15.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.71

$4.21 MX$73.5

55.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.85

$8.59 MX$150

-35.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.16

$1.14 MX$19.93

16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.62

$2.85 MX$49.79

5.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.98

$0.55 MX$9.55

312.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.41

$26.91 MX$469

72.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.69

$1.87 MX$32.68

126.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.20 MX$20.94

-29.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.41

$9.38 MX$164

100.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.76

$1.23 MX$21.41

64.23%

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

$35.0K €30.5K

$18.4K MX$320.1K

90.50%

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

$39.6K €34.6K

$20.8K MX$363.4K

90.27%

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

$148 €129

$60.4 MX$1,053

145.00%

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

$20.52 €17.89

$22.92 MX$400

-10.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.46

$28.54 MX$498

38.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €42.00

$22.81 MX$398

111.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €16.03

$15.71 MX$274

17.06%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.93

$5.15 MX$89.8

76.70%

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

$615 €536

$208 MX$3,626

195.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.2K

$4,854 MX$84.7K

235.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.6

$47.44 MX$827

114.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.69

$40.16 MX$700

4.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €80.5

$97.9 MX$1,707

-5.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$83.8 MX$1,462

45.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,405

$371 MX$6,477

333.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,093

$317 MX$5,533

295.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,676

$917 MX$16.0K

234.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,776

$791 MX$13.8K

157.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,757

$925 MX$16.1K

737.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,737

$644 MX$11.2K

565.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,396

$681 MX$11.9K

135.34%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Cuernavaca: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $371 in Cuernavaca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 135% 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 $38.00 in Cuernavaca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 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 129% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 135% higher in Lisbon, 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: $1,612 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 19% 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 $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $994 in Cuernavaca versus $2,280 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 129% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.