Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Merida Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Merida

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $1,440 in Merida.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $2,314 in Merida.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $3,189 in Merida.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 61% more expensive than in Merida, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 69% above, Merida 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.93

$14.58 MX$248

18.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.6

$58.4 MX$992

8.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.83

$8.72 MX$148

30.62%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.75

$4.21 MX$71.5

-24.23%

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

$2.45 €2.11

$1.22 MX$20.66

100.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$1.18 MX$19.97

49.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.10

$3.03 MX$51.4

18.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.93

$3.98 MX$67.6

-14.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.74 MX$29.56

-28.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$2.95 MX$50.2

-32.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.88 MX$31.87

-19.15%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.49

$2.02 MX$34.27

100.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.68

$10.97 MX$186

23.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.24

$8.08 MX$137

3.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.75

$13.54 MX$230

34.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$3.06 MX$51.9

-25.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.54 MX$26.24

12.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$2.30 MX$39.08

-19.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.27

$2.21 MX$37.53

19.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$2.48 MX$42.20

-22.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$1.91 MX$32.43

9.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.59 MX$27.00

-9.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.22 MX$20.76

-31.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.85

$4.90 MX$83.2

38.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.93

$11.78 MX$200

-51.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.56 MX$26.54

-11.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$2.73 MX$46.29

-18.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.07

$0.68 MX$11.60

252.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.37

$21.26 MX$361

120.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.60

$2.97 MX$50.4

40.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$4.04 MX$68.7

-71.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.26

$9.45 MX$161

87.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.01

$1.60 MX$27.24

45.00%

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

$35.3K €30.5K

$22.8K MX$387.4K

54.90%

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

$41.4K €35.8K

$25.6K MX$434.7K

61.94%

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

$170 €147

$119 MX$2,017

43.42%

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

$19.34 €16.69

$22.87 MX$388

-15.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €29.03

$37.46 MX$636

-10.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.50

$31.09 MX$528

54.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.17

$12.82 MX$218

55.23%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.56

$8.12 MX$138

22.17%

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

$717 €619

$276 MX$4,691

159.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.1K

$3,856 MX$65.5K

353.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.4

$58.2 MX$988

80.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.51

$57.0 MX$968

-17.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.2

$107 MX$1,825

-3.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$88.9 MX$1,510

39.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,447

$685 MX$11.6K

144.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,097

$486 MX$8,261

161.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,575

$1,343 MX$22.8K

122.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,719

$1,037 MX$17.6K

92.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,753

$2,422 MX$41.1K

223.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,019

$1,342 MX$22.8K

247.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,366

$627 MX$10.6K

152.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

11.64

-67.44%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Merida: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $685 in Merida. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 153% 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 $58.0 in Merida. Groceries flip the comparison at $283 vs $290, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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 Merida: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Merida differ by about 61% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $1,440 including rent). Merida is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 153% 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: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $685 in Merida. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $717 in Lisbon versus $276 in Merida. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,440 in Merida versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Merida but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Merida 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 Merida 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 Merida gentler on the wallet – expenses run 61% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.