Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Isla Mujeres Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Isla Mujeres

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,243 in Lisbon versus $1,117 in Isla Mujeres.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,747 in Isla Mujeres.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,387 in Lisbon versus $2,376 in Isla Mujeres.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 101% more expensive than Isla Mujeres, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 67% above, Isla Mujeres is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.73 €13.42

$10.42 MX$181

50.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 €53.9

$38.39 MX$665

64.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €8.80

$7.85 MX$136

31.46%

Cappuccino

$2.81 €2.40

$3.20 MX$55.5

-12.19%

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

$2.33 €1.99

$1.27 MX$22.07

83.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.91 MX$15.74

65.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 €2.87

$2.19 MX$37.97

53.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.34

$3.92 MX$67.9

-0.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.92

$1.45 MX$25.05

-25.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.49

$2.63 MX$45.59

-33.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.62 MX$28.14

8.02%

Eggs

$3.10 €2.64

$2.32 MX$40.29

33.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.28 €11.33

$7.98 MX$138

66.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 €6.70

$7.82 MX$135

0.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.05 €13.69

$10.41 MX$180

54.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$2.62 MX$45.45

-8.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.47

$1.44 MX$25.01

19.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$1.79 MX$31.06

10.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.17

$1.72 MX$29.79

48.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.85 MX$32.09

-3.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$1.92 MX$33.32

2.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 €1.67

$1.25 MX$21.63

56.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.71

$0.99 MX$17.14

-15.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.82

$4.19 MX$72.7

62.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.85 €4.99

$10.70 MX$185

-45.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.54 MX$26.68

-10.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 €2.49

$2.84 MX$49.27

2.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €1.95

$0.65 MX$11.26

252.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.88 €39.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 €3.51

$2.57 MX$44.59

60.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.69

$1.58 MX$27.46

-48.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.94 €16.16

$8.08 MX$140

134.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.78

$1.28 MX$22.13

63.28%

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

$35.1K €30.0K

$21.0K MX$363.1K

67.60%

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

$39.7K €33.9K

$22.2K MX$384.4K

79.05%

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

$150 €128

$56.5 MX$979

164.75%

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

$20.49 €17.48

$22.15 MX$384

-7.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.15 €33.40

$27.97 MX$485

39.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.35

$35.97 MX$623

38.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.47 €15.76

$16.11 MX$279

14.65%

Cinema Ticket

$9.20 €7.84

$4.68 MX$81.1

96.58%

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

$624 €533

$208 MX$3,605

200.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K €13.6K

$3,634 MX$63.0K

337.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €87.2

$52.0 MX$901

96.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 €34.87

$39.24 MX$680

4.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 €81.6

$91.7 MX$1,589

4.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €103

$80.0 MX$1,386

51.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 €1,410

$510 MX$8,842

223.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 €1,051

$393 MX$6,807

213.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,043 €2,596

$928 MX$16.1K

227.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,059 €1,756

$775 MX$13.4K

165.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,879 €6,720

$1,743 MX$30.2K

351.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,303 €3,671

$1,165 MX$20.2K

269.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,566 €1,336

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

11.48

-66.81%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 21, 2026

Last update for Isla Mujeres: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,653 in Lisbon and $510 in Isla Mujeres. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63 in Lisbon vs $38 in Isla Mujeres for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $270 vs $249 per month, with Isla Mujeres 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 Isla Mujeres: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Isla Mujeres differ by about 101% in total monthly costs ($2,243 vs $1,117 including rent). Isla Mujeres is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,365 in Lisbon and $1,676 in Isla Mujeres to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,653 in Lisbon versus $510 in Isla Mujeres. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,243 per month in Lisbon versus $1,117 in Isla Mujeres – a 101% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,117 in Isla Mujeres versus $2,243 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Isla Mujeres but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Isla Mujeres 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 Isla Mujeres 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 Isla Mujeres gentler on the wallet – expenses run 101% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.