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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,044 in Ensenada.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,600 in Ensenada.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $2,155 in Ensenada.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 112% more expensive than Ensenada, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Ensenada is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$10.66 MX$184

49.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$31.75 MX$549

104.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$7.49 MX$129

40.32%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$3.00 MX$51.9

-4.33%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$1.11 MX$19.16

101.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.72 MX$12.52

108.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$2.69 MX$46.58

29.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$4.04 MX$69.9

-3.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.63 MX$28.24

-30.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$2.44 MX$42.25

-28.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.66 MX$28.70

6.02%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.85 MX$49.36

12.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$7.29 MX$126

85.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$5.12 MX$88.6

54.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$9.38 MX$162

69.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.00 MX$34.56

15.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.49 MX$25.83

14.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.69 MX$29.25

18.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.56 MX$26.91

57.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.67 MX$28.89

10.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.81 MX$31.33

10.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.10 MX$19.07

75.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$1.01 MX$17.52

-21.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$3.91 MX$67.6

69.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$8.52 MX$147

-32.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.43 MX$24.80

-4.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.32 MX$40.06

28.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.82 MX$14.22

189.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$2.10 MX$36.39

104.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.59 MX$27.47

-48.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$3.09 MX$53.5

492.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.23 MX$21.33

67.48%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$21.3K MX$367.6K

61.29%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$20.4K MX$352.6K

92.77%

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

$148 €127

$57.3 MX$991

158.06%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$19.95 MX$345

2.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$28.66 MX$496

38.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$67.3 MX$1,163

-28.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$16.17 MX$280

17.01%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$4.26 MX$73.7

115.49%

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

$614 €528

$184 MX$3,179

234.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$2,815 MX$48.7K

470.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$42.70 MX$739

145.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$35.31 MX$611

19.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$86.9 MX$1,504

8.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$57.0 MX$985

110.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$508 MX$8,782

220.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$347 MX$5,998

261.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$1,014 MX$17.5K

198.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$625 MX$10.8K

223.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$1,384 MX$23.9K

463.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$716 MX$12.4K

496.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$692 MX$12.0K

131.73%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Ensenada: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $508 in Ensenada. 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 $32.00 in Ensenada for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $222 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 112% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,044 including rent). Ensenada is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $508 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 $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $1,044 in Ensenada – a 112% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,044 in Ensenada versus $2,210 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 112% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.