Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Matamoros Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Matamoros

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $1,151 in Matamoros.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $1,822 in Matamoros.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $2,493 in Matamoros.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 93% more expensive than Matamoros, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Matamoros is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.84

$10.55 MX$185

53.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$39.52 MX$692

63.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$7.76 MX$136

33.76%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$3.35 MX$58.7

-17.31%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$1.28 MX$22.39

75.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.92 MX$16.16

70.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

$2.36 MX$41.35

47.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

$3.82 MX$66.8

4.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.49 MX$26.13

-27.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$2.60 MX$45.56

-33.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.60 MX$28.05

8.75%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$2.32 MX$40.63

37.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$8.06 MX$141

66.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$7.85 MX$137

1.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

$10.48 MX$183

53.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$2.63 MX$45.95

-13.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.41 MX$24.66

21.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$1.80 MX$31.53

7.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$1.66 MX$29.10

53.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.93 MX$33.81

-5.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.95 MX$34.05

4.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$1.25 MX$21.90

58.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$1.01 MX$17.75

-15.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$4.08 MX$71.5

67.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

$12.17 MX$213

-52.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.61 MX$28.11

-14.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$2.74 MX$47.96

5.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$0.61 MX$10.68

273.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

$32.05 MX$561

46.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$2.55 MX$44.61

60.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.61 MX$28.21

-49.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$8.48 MX$148

115.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$1.26 MX$22.13

59.52%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$21.1K MX$369.3K

67.11%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$22.3K MX$390.1K

72.64%

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

$145 €124

$57.5 MX$1,006

152.91%

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

$20.96 €17.94

$21.86 MX$383

-4.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$27.82 MX$487

43.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

$35.63 MX$623

36.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

$15.58 MX$273

19.96%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$4.76 MX$83.3

90.34%

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

$607 €519

$209 MX$3,650

190.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$3,104 MX$54.3K

426.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$53.5 MX$936

95.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$40.42 MX$707

1.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$91.2 MX$1,596

2.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$79.4 MX$1,389

49.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

$500 MX$8,743

221.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

$400 MX$7,006

208.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

$929 MX$16.3K

227.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

$772 MX$13.5K

166.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

$1,755 MX$30.7K

339.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

$1,283 MX$22.4K

232.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

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 26, 2026

Last update for Matamoros: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $500 in Matamoros. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $40.00 in Matamoros for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $253 per month, with Matamoros 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 Matamoros: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Matamoros differ by about 93% in total monthly costs ($2,227 vs $1,151 including rent). Matamoros is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,341 in Lisbon and $1,727 in Matamoros 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: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $500 in Matamoros. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $607 in Lisbon versus $209 in Matamoros. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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

At $1,151 in Matamoros versus $2,227 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Matamoros but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Matamoros 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 Matamoros 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 Matamoros gentler on the wallet – expenses run 93% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.