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: $2,322 in Lisbon versus $1,221 in Matamoros.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,409 in Lisbon versus $1,954 in Matamoros.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,496 in Lisbon versus $2,686 in Matamoros.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 90% more expensive than in Matamoros, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Matamoros is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.10 €14.63

$13.41 MX$227

27.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.1 €54.8

$48.01 MX$814

33.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 €10.02

$9.70 MX$164

20.72%

Cappuccino

$3.14 €2.69

$4.07 MX$69.0

-22.85%

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

$2.51 €2.14

$1.43 MX$24.28

75.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 €1.42

$1.19 MX$20.15

39.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.51 €3.01

$2.45 MX$41.52

43.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 €2.88

$5.13 MX$86.9

-34.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €0.99

$1.48 MX$25.07

-21.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.02 €1.73

$2.73 MX$46.28

-26.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 €1.35

$1.64 MX$27.75

-3.66%

Eggs

$4.05 €3.46

$2.34 MX$39.57

73.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 €10.96

$7.65 MX$130

67.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.02 €6.86

$8.20 MX$139

-2.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.03 €14.57

$13.26 MX$225

28.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 €2.03

$2.77 MX$47.02

-14.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.55 MX$26.22

18.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.99 MX$33.70

Tomato (1kg)

$2.67 €2.28

$2.13 MX$36.05

25.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.63

$2.03 MX$34.38

-6.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.84 MX$31.14

7.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 €1.23

$1.30 MX$22.00

10.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.78

$1.17 MX$19.86

-22.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.84

$4.00 MX$67.9

70.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.73 €4.90

$11.23 MX$190

-48.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.14

$2.15 MX$36.48

-38.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.83

$3.74 MX$63.4

-43.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.05

$0.76 MX$12.82

215.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.94 €39.30

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.25 €3.63

$2.90 MX$49.12

46.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 €0.95

$2.42 MX$41.05

-54.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.99 €15.39

$10.74 MX$182

67.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.88

$1.55 MX$26.30

41.94%

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

$35.2K €30.1K

$21.4K MX$362.5K

64.58%

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

$40.0K €34.2K

$26.9K MX$455.7K

48.89%

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

$171 €146

$53.6 MX$908

219.16%

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

$19.61 €16.78

$20.11 MX$341

-2.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.19 €28.39

$36.41 MX$617

-8.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.96 €41.02

$40.77 MX$691

17.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.88 €17.01

$23.09 MX$391

-13.90%

Cinema Ticket

$10.12 €8.66

$5.41 MX$91.6

87.06%

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

$700 €599

$252 MX$4,279

177.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €14.8K

$4,887 MX$82.8K

255.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 €93.4

$56.4 MX$956

93.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.84 €40.92

$43.76 MX$742

9.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €90.9

$107 MX$1,808

-0.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €108

$81.7 MX$1,384

54.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 €1,461

$684 MX$11.6K

149.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,265 €1,082

$437 MX$7,413

189.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,973 €2,543

$1,309 MX$22.2K

127.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,000 €1,711

$843 MX$14.3K

137.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,013 €6,855

$1,670 MX$28.3K

379.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,525 €3,871

$1,298 MX$22.0K

248.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,663 €1,422

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.73

11.3

-66.99%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 15, 2026

Last update for Matamoros: August 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,708 in Lisbon and $684 in Matamoros. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $48.00 in Matamoros for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $273 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 90% in total monthly costs ($2,322 vs $1,221 including rent). Matamoros is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,483 in Lisbon and $1,832 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: $1,708 in Lisbon versus $684 in Matamoros. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,322 per month in Lisbon versus $1,221 in Matamoros – a 90% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,221 in Matamoros versus $2,322 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 90% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.