Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Lazaro Cardenas Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Lazaro Cardenas

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,243 in Lisbon versus $1,121 in Lazaro Cardenas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,771 in Lazaro Cardenas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,387 in Lisbon versus $2,422 in Lazaro Cardenas.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 100% more expensive than Lazaro Cardenas, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 67% above, Lazaro Cardenas is 16% below.

Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Lisbon
Lazaro Cardenas
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$15.73 โ‚ฌ13.42
$10.42 MX$181
50.96%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$63.2 โ‚ฌ53.9
$38.63 MX$669
63.50%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.32 โ‚ฌ8.80
$8.03 MX$139
28.52%
Cappuccino
$2.81 โ‚ฌ2.40
$3.39 MX$58.8
-17.11%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.33 โ‚ฌ1.99
$1.28 MX$22.24
82.03%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.51 โ‚ฌ1.29
$0.97 MX$16.82
55.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.37 โ‚ฌ2.87
$2.34 MX$40.59
44.02%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.91 โ‚ฌ3.34
$3.86 MX$66.9
1.30%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Lazaro Cardenas
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.08 โ‚ฌ0.92
$1.44 MX$24.99
-25.00%
White Bread (500g)
$1.75 โ‚ฌ1.49
$2.55 MX$44.24
-31.37%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.75 โ‚ฌ1.50
$1.63 MX$28.16
7.36%
Eggs
$3.10 โ‚ฌ2.64
$2.37 MX$41.14
30.80%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.28 โ‚ฌ11.33
$7.97 MX$138
66.62%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.85 โ‚ฌ6.70
$7.73 MX$134
1.55%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.05 โ‚ฌ13.69
$10.44 MX$181
53.74%
Apples (1kg)
$2.39 โ‚ฌ2.04
$2.67 MX$46.25
-10.49%
Banana (1kg)
$1.72 โ‚ฌ1.47
$1.43 MX$24.82
20.28%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.97 โ‚ฌ1.68
$1.72 MX$29.86
14.53%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.55 โ‚ฌ2.17
$1.61 MX$27.83
58.39%
Potato (1kg)
$1.79 โ‚ฌ1.53
$1.85 MX$32.12
-3.24%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 โ‚ฌ1.68
$2.00 MX$34.70
-1.50%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.96 โ‚ฌ1.67
$1.25 MX$21.71
56.80%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.84 โ‚ฌ0.71
$1.02 MX$17.61
-17.65%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.82 โ‚ฌ5.82
$4.15 MX$71.9
64.34%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.85 โ‚ฌ4.99
$10.87 MX$188
-46.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.38 โ‚ฌ1.18
$1.55 MX$26.88
-10.97%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.92 โ‚ฌ2.49
$2.83 MX$48.99
3.18%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Lisbon
Lazaro Cardenas
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.29 โ‚ฌ1.95
$0.60 MX$10.43
281.67%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$46.88 โ‚ฌ39.99
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.12 โ‚ฌ3.51
$2.63 MX$45.54
56.65%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.81 โ‚ฌ0.69
$1.59 MX$27.62
-49.06%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$18.94 โ‚ฌ16.16
$8.44 MX$146
124.41%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.09 โ‚ฌ1.78
$1.33 MX$22.98
57.14%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.1K โ‚ฌ30.0K
$21.2K MX$366.9K
65.85%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.7K โ‚ฌ33.9K
$22.9K MX$396.5K
73.58%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Lazaro Cardenas
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$150 โ‚ฌ128
$55.5 MX$963
169.28%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.49 โ‚ฌ17.48
$21.88 MX$379
-6.35%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$39.15 โ‚ฌ33.40
$28.23 MX$489
38.68%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Lazaro Cardenas
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.65 โ‚ฌ42.35
$35.42 MX$614
40.18%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.47 โ‚ฌ15.76
$15.85 MX$275
16.53%
Cinema Ticket
$9.20 โ‚ฌ7.84
$4.64 MX$80.5
98.28%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Lazaro Cardenas
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$624 โ‚ฌ533
$210 MX$3,646
196.80%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.9K โ‚ฌ13.6K
$3,606 MX$62.5K
341.08%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Lazaro Cardenas
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 โ‚ฌ87.2
$53.5 MX$928
90.83%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.88 โ‚ฌ34.87
$39.20 MX$679
4.29%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$95.7 โ‚ฌ81.6
$88.8 MX$1,539
7.78%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$121 โ‚ฌ103
$78.8 MX$1,366
53.62%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Lazaro Cardenas
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,653 โ‚ฌ1,410
$517 MX$8,966
219.46%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,233 โ‚ฌ1,051
$394 MX$6,820
213.23%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,043 โ‚ฌ2,596
$949 MX$16.4K
220.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,059 โ‚ฌ1,756
$749 MX$13.0K
174.89%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,879 โ‚ฌ6,720
$2,037 MX$35.3K
286.71%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,303 โ‚ฌ3,671
$1,271 MX$22.0K
238.62%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Lazaro Cardenas
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,566 โ‚ฌ1,336
$581 MX$10.1K
169.79%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.81
11.48
-66.81%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Lisbon: April 21, 2026

Last update for Lazaro Cardenas: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,653 in Lisbon and $517 in Lazaro Cardenas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 170% 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 in Lisbon vs $39 in Lazaro Cardenas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $270 vs $249 per month, with Lazaro Cardenas 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 Lazaro Cardenas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Lisbon or Lazaro Cardenas?
Lazaro Cardenas wins on cost โ€“ living expenses run 100% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lazaro Cardenas the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Lisbon or Lazaro Cardenas?
Lisbon pays 170% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Lisbon vs Lazaro Cardenas?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,653 in Lisbon versus $517 in Lazaro Cardenas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Lisbon and Lazaro Cardenas?
Childcare runs $624 in Lisbon versus $210 in Lazaro Cardenas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in Lisbon vs Lazaro Cardenas?
Dining out is cheaper in Lazaro Cardenas โ€“ a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Lisbon or Lazaro Cardenas?
At $1,121 in Lazaro Cardenas versus $2,243 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Lazaro Cardenas but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Lazaro Cardenas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Lisbon or Lazaro Cardenas?
Both work as nomad bases, but Lazaro Cardenas delivers better value โ€“ similar infrastructure at $1,121 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lazaro Cardenas hard to pass up.
How safe is Lisbon compared to Lazaro Cardenas?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Lazaro Cardenas are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Lazaro Cardenas gentler on the wallet โ€“ expenses run 100% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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