Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Los Cabos Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Los Cabos

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,217 in Lisbon versus $1,092 in Los Cabos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,245 in Lisbon versus $1,769 in Los Cabos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,272 in Lisbon versus $2,447 in Los Cabos.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 103% more expensive than in Los Cabos, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Los Cabos is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.78 €13.77

$10.44 MX$181

51.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.5 €54.5

$39.35 MX$683

58.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 €9.19

$7.81 MX$135

34.96%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.41

$3.23 MX$56.1

-14.24%

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

$2.28 €1.99

$1.25 MX$21.62

82.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.35

$0.96 MX$16.58

61.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.55 €3.09

$2.44 MX$42.33

45.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 €3.47

$3.93 MX$68.2

1.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.44 MX$25.01

-25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.54

$2.52 MX$43.71

-29.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 €1.54

$1.57 MX$27.30

12.74%

Eggs

$3.12 €2.72

$2.30 MX$39.92

35.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.34 €11.64

$7.85 MX$136

69.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.98

$7.97 MX$138

0.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.92 €13.89

$10.77 MX$187

47.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.99

$2.56 MX$44.47

-10.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.43

$1.41 MX$24.47

16.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.70 MX$29.51

16.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 €2.14

$1.66 MX$28.88

47.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.54

$1.86 MX$32.25

-4.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.72

$1.99 MX$34.56

-1.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.72

$1.26 MX$21.82

56.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.70

$0.97 MX$16.92

-17.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.54 €5.70

$4.09 MX$71.0

59.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.75 €5.01

$11.03 MX$191

-47.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 €1.15

$1.62 MX$28.16

-18.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 €2.60

$2.87 MX$49.89

4.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.34 €2.04

$0.62 MX$10.68

277.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.85 €40.01

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.26 €3.71

$2.66 MX$46.24

60.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 €0.74

$1.59 MX$27.64

-47.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.86 €16.45

$8.41 MX$146

124.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.81

$1.32 MX$22.92

56.82%

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

$35.2K €30.8K

$20.7K MX$360.0K

69.88%

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

$38.6K €33.7K

$22.6K MX$391.8K

71.03%

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

$151 €132

$56.4 MX$979

167.82%

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

$20.91 €18.24

$22.14 MX$384

-5.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.54 €34.50

$28.05 MX$487

40.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.39 €42.22

$35.25 MX$612

37.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.61 €16.24

$16.01 MX$278

16.24%

Cinema Ticket

$9.04 €7.89

$4.75 MX$82.5

90.32%

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

$610 €532

$207 MX$3,588

195.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.2K

$3,570 MX$62.0K

355.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €88.3

$53.2 MX$923

90.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.58 €35.41

$39.16 MX$680

3.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.0 €81.2

$88.7 MX$1,539

4.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$79.6 MX$1,381

49.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,603 €1,398

$503 MX$8,729

218.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,239 €1,081

$404 MX$7,011

206.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,019 €2,634

$931 MX$16.2K

224.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,061 €1,798

$757 MX$13.1K

172.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,981 €6,963

$1,973 MX$34.2K

304.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,533 €3,955

$1,250 MX$21.7K

262.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,628 €1,421

$855 MX$14.8K

90.35%

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: June 15, 2026

Last update for Los Cabos: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,603 in Lisbon and $503 in Los Cabos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 90% 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: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $39.00 in Los Cabos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $249 per month, with Los Cabos 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 Los Cabos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Los Cabos differ by about 103% in total monthly costs ($2,217 vs $1,092 including rent). Los Cabos is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 90% 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: $1,603 in Lisbon versus $503 in Los Cabos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,217 per month in Lisbon versus $1,092 in Los Cabos – a 103% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,092 in Los Cabos versus $2,217 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Los Cabos but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Los Cabos 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 Los Cabos 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 Los Cabos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 103% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.