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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,233 in Merida.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,944 in Merida.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $2,655 in Merida.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 79% more expensive than Merida, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Merida is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$10.73 MX$186

48.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$49.93 MX$864

29.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$8.02 MX$139

31.05%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$3.63 MX$62.9

-20.94%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$1.17 MX$20.24

91.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.11 MX$19.13

35.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$2.86 MX$49.40

22.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$3.93 MX$67.9

-1.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.38 MX$23.80

-17.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$2.60 MX$45.01

-32.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.54 MX$26.70

14.29%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$1.99 MX$34.37

61.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$10.35 MX$179

30.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$6.95 MX$120

13.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$11.16 MX$193

42.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.78 MX$48.02

-16.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.36 MX$23.53

25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.18 MX$37.69

-7.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.79 MX$31.04

37.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$2.09 MX$36.21

-11.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.95 MX$33.65

2.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.04 MX$18.03

85.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.98 MX$16.99

-19.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$4.25 MX$73.6

55.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$11.42 MX$198

-49.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.36 MX$23.60

0.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.82 MX$48.79

5.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.65 MX$11.19

264.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$19.00 MX$329

139.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$2.39 MX$41.41

79.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$3.38 MX$58.4

-75.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$6.55 MX$113

179.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.31 MX$22.65

57.25%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$15.7K MX$271.8K

118.16%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$21.7K MX$374.6K

81.42%

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

$148 €127

$82.9 MX$1,434

78.31%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$23.14 MX$400

-11.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$28.69 MX$496

38.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$28.67 MX$496

66.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$13.93 MX$241

35.82%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$4.60 MX$79.6

99.57%

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

$614 €528

$390 MX$6,743

57.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$3,468 MX$60.0K

362.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$55.6 MX$961

88.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$47.85 MX$828

-12.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$91.9 MX$1,590

2.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$83.3 MX$1,442

43.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$502 MX$8,675

224.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$432 MX$7,476

190.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$1,056 MX$18.3K

186.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$799 MX$13.8K

152.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$2,385 MX$41.3K

227.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$1,327 MX$23.0K

222.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$626 MX$10.8K

155.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

11.68

-67.38%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Merida: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $502 in Merida. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 156% 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 $50.0 in Merida for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $254 per month, with Merida 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 Merida: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Merida differ by about 79% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,233 including rent). Merida is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 156% 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 $502 in Merida. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $390 in Merida. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,233 in Merida versus $2,210 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 79% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.