Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Mendoza Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Mendoza

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,069 in Mendoza.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,723 in Mendoza.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $2,378 in Mendoza.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 114% more expensive than in Mendoza, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Mendoza is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.15

$10.93 ARS 16.2K

48.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.3

$41.47 ARS 61.3K

52.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.02

$9.60 ARS 14.2K

7.50%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.47

$3.79 ARS 5,601

-25.33%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$2.32 ARS 3,424

-1.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$1.98 ARS 2,925

-20.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.97

$1.94 ARS 2,875

75.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$2.93 ARS 4,337

37.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.29 ARS 1,906

-15.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.48 ARS 2,183

18.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.03 ARS 2,996

-13.30%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.12 ARS 3,137

49.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.53

$11.73 ARS 17.3K

12.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.96

$7.69 ARS 11.4K

3.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.57

$9.46 ARS 14.0K

64.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$2.01 ARS 2,974

17.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.53 ARS 2,255

11.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.75

$1.51 ARS 2,236

33.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.12

$2.18 ARS 3,229

11.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.01 ARS 1,497

74.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.03 ARS 1,517

97.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.02 ARS 1,515

88.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$2.62 ARS 3,878

-67.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.75

$2.44 ARS 3,613

169.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.87

$5.10 ARS 7,544

9.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.16

$1.95 ARS 2,883

-31.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$3.56 ARS 5,266

-16.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.69 ARS 1,018

230.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.01

$18.28 ARS 27.0K

150.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.69

$0.41 ARS 605

931.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$1.02 ARS 1,506

-20.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.11

$4.85 ARS 7,170

280.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.19 ARS 1,761

74.79%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$31.6K ARS 46.7M

9.62%

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

$39.2K €34.2K

$33.0K ARS 48.8M

18.63%

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

$148 €129

$76.0 ARS 112.3K

94.83%

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

$20.46 €17.88

$17.52 ARS 25.9K

16.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.56

$21.72 ARS 32.1K

82.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.93

$27.75 ARS 41.0K

72.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.25

$16.19 ARS 23.9K

14.89%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.06

$6.10 ARS 9,021

51.15%

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

$616 €538

$102 ARS 150.4K

505.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$2,172 ARS 3.2M

656.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.7

$80.9 ARS 119.6K

26.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.47

$77.5 ARS 114.6K

-46.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.8

$147 ARS 217.8K

-35.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$120 ARS 177.4K

1.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,426

$363 ARS 536.4K

349.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,077

$270 ARS 398.9K

356.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,707

$609 ARS 899.8K

408.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,775

$502 ARS 741.9K

304.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,842

$1,705 ARS 2.5M

359.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,835

$1,121 ARS 1.7M

291.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,404

$722 ARS 1.1M

122.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

-95.18%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Mendoza: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $363 in Mendoza. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 123% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $41.00 in Mendoza for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $250 per month, with Mendoza 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 Mendoza: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Mendoza differ by about 114% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,069 including rent). Mendoza is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 123% 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $363 in Mendoza. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $102 in Mendoza. 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 $1,069 in Mendoza versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Mendoza but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Mendoza 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 Mendoza 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 Mendoza gentler on the wallet – expenses run 114% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.