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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,075 in Mendoza.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,730 in Mendoza.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $2,385 in Mendoza.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 106% more expensive than Mendoza, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Mendoza is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$10.84 ARS 15.5K

46.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$41.73 ARS 59.5K

55.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$9.70 ARS 13.8K

8.35%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$3.69 ARS 5,262

-22.22%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$2.24 ARS 3,193

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.06 ARS 2,938

-27.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$2.02 ARS 2,884

72.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$2.93 ARS 4,187

32.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.27 ARS 1,808

-10.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.49 ARS 2,128

17.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.97 ARS 2,816

-10.66%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.21 ARS 3,146

45.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$11.57 ARS 16.5K

16.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$7.37 ARS 10.5K

7.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$9.56 ARS 13.6K

66.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.01 ARS 2,872

14.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.54 ARS 2,191

10.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.47 ARS 2,092

36.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.09 ARS 2,985

17.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$0.97 ARS 1,391

89.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.01 ARS 1,442

98.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.02 ARS 1,459

89.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$2.74 ARS 3,911

-71.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$2.45 ARS 3,493

169.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$5.09 ARS 7,255

12.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.97 ARS 2,814

-30.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$3.47 ARS 4,951

-14.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.73 ARS 1,035

224.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$18.74 ARS 26.7K

143.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$0.41 ARS 587

946.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.02 ARS 1,455

-19.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$4.93 ARS 7,036

271.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.20 ARS 1,712

71.67%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$31.7K ARS 45.2M

8.22%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$33.2K ARS 47.4M

18.20%

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

$148 €127

$77.6 ARS 110.7K

90.55%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$17.56 ARS 25.1K

16.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$21.55 ARS 30.7K

83.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$27.98 ARS 39.9K

71.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$16.31 ARS 23.3K

16.00%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$6.10 ARS 8,697

50.49%

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

$614 €528

$103 ARS 147.6K

493.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$2,124 ARS 3.0M

655.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$81.1 ARS 115.8K

28.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$75.6 ARS 107.8K

-44.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$150 ARS 214.5K

-37.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$119 ARS 169.8K

0.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$353 ARS 504.0K

360.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$274 ARS 391.0K

357.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$611 ARS 871.9K

395.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$502 ARS 716.5K

302.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$1,691 ARS 2.4M

361.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$1,127 ARS 1.6M

279.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$725 ARS 1.0M

121.03%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Mendoza: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $353 in Mendoza. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 121% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $42.00 in Mendoza for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $249 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 106% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,075 including rent). Mendoza is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 121% more on average, 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $353 in Mendoza. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $103 in Mendoza. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,075 in Mendoza versus $2,210 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 106% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.