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: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $1,138 in Ensenada.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,822 in Ensenada.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $2,505 in Ensenada.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 99% more expensive than in Ensenada, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Ensenada is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$12.70 MX$215

38.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$37.41 MX$635

72.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$8.16 MX$138

42.77%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$3.30 MX$56.1

-1.21%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$1.22 MX$20.70

104.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.76 MX$12.91

119.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$3.00 MX$50.9

15.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$3.88 MX$65.8

-7.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.88 MX$31.82

-37.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$2.82 MX$47.80

-30.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.84 MX$31.23

-15.22%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$2.90 MX$49.12

38.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$8.64 MX$147

53.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$7.42 MX$126

13.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$11.38 MX$193

60.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$2.34 MX$39.75

-0.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.78 MX$30.12

-2.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.94 MX$32.99

-0.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.73 MX$29.33

52.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.40 MX$23.74

35.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.99 MX$33.80

6.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.52 MX$25.85

-5.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$1.13 MX$19.25

-29.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$4.31 MX$73.1

62.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$14.33 MX$243

-58.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$2.01 MX$34.04

-32.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.91 MX$49.29

-26.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.91 MX$15.40

161.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

$39.10 MX$663

18.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$3.15 MX$53.5

33.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$2.09 MX$35.40

-47.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$20.66 MX$351

-16.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.41 MX$23.98

59.57%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$21.6K MX$367.3K

59.21%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$26.1K MX$443.0K

59.37%

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

$171 €147

$50.9 MX$864

235.45%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$34.54 MX$586

-44.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$27.88 MX$473

22.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$32.92 MX$558

50.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$11.62 MX$197

67.90%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$4.91 MX$83.3

105.70%

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

$699 €603

$206 MX$3,499

239.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$5,372 MX$91.1K

230.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$57.0 MX$968

83.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$46.61 MX$791

2.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$112 MX$1,899

-9.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$63.2 MX$1,073

102.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$572 MX$9,709

190.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$361 MX$6,116

240.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$1,057 MX$17.9K

175.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$699 MX$11.9K

189.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$1,444 MX$24.5K

463.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$736 MX$12.5K

529.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$719 MX$12.2K

125.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

11.3

-66.55%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Ensenada: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $572 in Ensenada. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 125% 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 $37.00 in Ensenada for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $274 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 99% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $1,138 including rent). Ensenada is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 125% 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 $572 in Ensenada. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,268 per month in Lisbon versus $1,138 in Ensenada – a 99% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Ensenada runs roughly 18% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,138 in Ensenada versus $2,268 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 99% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.