Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Leon Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Leon

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,268 per month in Lisbon vs $1,310 in Leon, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,348 per month in Lisbon vs $2,130 in Leon, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,429 per month in Lisbon vs $2,951 in Leon, rent included.

Lisbon costs about 73% more than Leon, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Lisbon sits 64% above the global median, while Leon is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$13.41 MX$227

30.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$58.4 MX$990

10.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$9.46 MX$161

23.15%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$4.36 MX$74.0

-25.23%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$1.45 MX$24.63

71.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$1.18 MX$20.06

41.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$3.53 MX$59.9

-1.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$4.12 MX$69.8

-13.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.84 MX$31.14

-35.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$2.99 MX$50.6

-34.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.88 MX$31.81

-17.02%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$3.54 MX$60.0

13.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$7.83 MX$133

69.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$8.41 MX$143

0.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$12.05 MX$204

51.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$2.64 MX$44.78

-12.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.44 MX$24.37

20.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.88 MX$31.91

2.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.61 MX$27.30

63.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$2.26 MX$38.34

-15.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$2.19 MX$37.11

-3.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.47 MX$24.86

-2.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.75 MX$12.75

6.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$4.99 MX$84.6

40.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$14.97 MX$254

-60.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$2.47 MX$41.90

-44.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$3.95 MX$67.0

-45.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.86 MX$14.51

176.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

$38.63 MX$655

19.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$2.91 MX$49.34

43.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$3.01 MX$51.1

-63.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$16.16 MX$274

6.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.54 MX$26.09

46.10%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$22.6K MX$383.6K

52.43%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$26.1K MX$442.3K

59.63%

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

$171 €147

$23.17 MX$393

637.51%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$44.43 MX$754

-57.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$61.4 MX$1,042

-44.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$64.6 MX$1,096

-23.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$37.34 MX$633

-47.75%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$6.97 MX$118

44.91%

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

$699 €603

$199 MX$3,379

251.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$4,148 MX$70.4K

328.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$60.1 MX$1,019

74.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$69.9 MX$1,186

-31.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$108 MX$1,834

-5.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$128 MX$2,170

0.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$565 MX$9,583

194.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$386 MX$6,553

217.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$837 MX$14.2K

248.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$735 MX$12.5K

175.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$577 MX$9,783

180.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

11.6

-67.41%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Leon: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,661 in Lisbon versus $565 in Leon. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 181% higher in Lisbon, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $64.0 in Lisbon versus $58.0 in Leon. Groceries tell a different story – $281 in Lisbon vs $285 in Leon – so Lisbon wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Leon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon costs about 73% more than Leon, with the gap driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,402 per month in Lisbon and $1,965 in Leon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Leon, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 1% cheaper in Lisbon – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $64.0 in Lisbon and $58.0 in Leon. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Leon, where all-in costs run around $1,310, than in Lisbon at $2,268. In Leon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Leon costs $1,310 versus $2,268 in Lisbon. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Leon. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lisbon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.