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: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $1,076 in Cuernavaca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,819 in Cuernavaca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $2,562 in Cuernavaca.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 111% more expensive than in Cuernavaca, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Cuernavaca is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$8.69 MX$147

101.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$41.14 MX$698

56.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$7.50 MX$127

55.33%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$2.67 MX$45.36

22.10%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$1.43 MX$24.22

74.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.68 MX$11.53

145.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$2.69 MX$45.66

29.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$3.51 MX$59.6

1.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.85 MX$31.35

-36.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$2.48 MX$42.03

-21.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.56 MX$26.41

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$2.18 MX$37.00

83.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$8.61 MX$146

54.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$5.18 MX$87.8

62.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$14.47 MX$245

25.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$2.43 MX$41.17

-4.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.45 MX$24.64

19.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$2.43 MX$41.27

-20.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.79 MX$30.42

47.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.92 MX$32.59

-1.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.87 MX$31.77

12.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.63 MX$27.66

-11.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.96 MX$16.37

-16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$4.82 MX$81.8

45.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$9.07 MX$154

-34.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.34 MX$22.68

1.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$3.50 MX$59.4

-38.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.56 MX$9.53

325.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

$29.80 MX$506

55.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$2.11 MX$35.85

98.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$2.77 MX$47.00

-60.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$11.62 MX$197

48.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.46 MX$24.73

54.11%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$22.6K MX$383.5K

52.49%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$25.4K MX$431.3K

63.70%

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

$171 €147

$64.4 MX$1,092

165.47%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$19.57 MX$332

-2.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$27.46 MX$466

24.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$28.38 MX$481

74.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$6.02 MX$102

67.77%

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

$699 €603

$234 MX$3,966

199.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$5,418 MX$91.9K

227.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$43.69 MX$741

139.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$34.87 MX$592

37.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$101 MX$1,717

0.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$104 MX$1,768

23.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$421 MX$7,136

294.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$354 MX$6,012

246.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$1,008 MX$17.1K

189.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$862 MX$14.6K

134.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$957 MX$16.2K

749.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$652 MX$11.1K

610.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$709 MX$12.0K

128.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

11.4

-66.84%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Cuernavaca: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $421 in Cuernavaca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 128% 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: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $41.00 in Cuernavaca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $252 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 111% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 128% 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $421 in Cuernavaca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% 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 $41.00 versus $64.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,076 in Cuernavaca versus $2,268 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 111% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.