Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Ensenada Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Ensenada

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,049 in Ensenada.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,602 in Ensenada.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $2,155 in Ensenada.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 118% more expensive than in Ensenada, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Ensenada is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$10.62 MX$186

52.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$32.37 MX$568

95.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$7.23 MX$127

42.74%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$3.01 MX$52.8

-5.98%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$1.12 MX$19.58

104.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.72 MX$12.60

119.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$2.58 MX$45.20

31.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$4.04 MX$70.9

-0.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.64 MX$28.76

-33.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$2.47 MX$43.33

-29.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.72 MX$30.18

2.33%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.86 MX$50.2

10.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$7.35 MX$129

79.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$4.95 MX$86.8

61.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$9.46 MX$166

64.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.94 MX$34.03

22.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.52 MX$26.62

12.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.65 MX$28.93

21.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$1.51 MX$26.55

60.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.68 MX$29.50

4.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.74 MX$30.60

16.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.05 MX$18.45

82.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.95 MX$16.72

-10.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$3.88 MX$68.1

69.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$8.51 MX$149

-34.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.48 MX$25.94

-10.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.32 MX$40.62

28.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.76 MX$13.31

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$2.17 MX$38.07

94.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$1.53 MX$26.80

-47.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$3.22 MX$56.4

472.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.28 MX$22.38

62.50%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$20.8K MX$364.9K

66.63%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$20.6K MX$360.6K

90.49%

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

$148 €130

$56.2 MX$986

163.39%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$20.19 MX$354

1.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$28.12 MX$493

40.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$65.3 MX$1,146

-26.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

$15.91 MX$279

16.91%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$4.44 MX$77.8

107.66%

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

$616 €539

$186 MX$3,261

231.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$2,786 MX$48.9K

490.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$43.08 MX$756

138.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$35.64 MX$625

17.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$87.3 MX$1,530

8.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$56.6 MX$992

115.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$505 MX$8,856

223.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$344 MX$6,031

258.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$1,021 MX$17.9K

203.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$625 MX$11.0K

224.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

$1,422 MX$24.9K

450.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

$724 MX$12.7K

506.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

$676 MX$11.9K

137.72%

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 14, 2026

Last update for Ensenada: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $505 in Ensenada. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 138% 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 $32.00 in Ensenada for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $221 per month, with Ensenada 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 Ensenada: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Ensenada differ by about 118% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,049 including rent). Ensenada is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 138% 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $505 in Ensenada. 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.

All in, you'll spend $2,291 per month in Lisbon versus $1,049 in Ensenada – a 118% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,049 in Ensenada versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ensenada but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Ensenada the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Ensenada 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 Ensenada gentler on the wallet – expenses run 118% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.