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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,233 in Merida.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,946 in Merida.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $2,660 in Merida.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 86% more expensive than in Merida, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Merida is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$10.49 MX$184

54.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$50.7 MX$889

25.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$7.98 MX$140

29.32%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$3.67 MX$64.4

-22.89%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$1.18 MX$20.69

94.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$1.07 MX$18.69

47.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$2.86 MX$50.1

18.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$3.91 MX$68.6

3.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.37 MX$24.11

-20.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$2.49 MX$43.75

-29.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.57 MX$27.55

12.10%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$1.91 MX$33.53

65.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$10.21 MX$179

29.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$7.12 MX$125

11.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$11.15 MX$196

39.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$2.87 MX$50.3

-17.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.39 MX$24.39

23.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$2.15 MX$37.74

-6.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$1.71 MX$29.96

42.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.11 MX$36.94

-16.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.96 MX$34.31

3.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.07 MX$18.85

79.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.91 MX$16.00

-6.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$4.12 MX$72.3

59.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$11.46 MX$201

-51.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.30 MX$22.86

2.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.86 MX$50.2

3.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.61 MX$10.70

273.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

$18.93 MX$332

141.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$2.34 MX$41.01

80.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$3.34 MX$58.5

-75.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$6.81 MX$119

170.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.27 MX$22.22

63.78%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$15.7K MX$275.9K

120.44%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$21.2K MX$371.5K

84.89%

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

$148 €130

$84.4 MX$1,480

75.41%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$23.63 MX$414

-13.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$29.08 MX$510

36.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$28.26 MX$496

69.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

$13.85 MX$243

34.30%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$4.60 MX$80.8

100.43%

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

$616 €539

$382 MX$6,701

61.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$3,542 MX$62.1K

364.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$56.0 MX$983

83.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$48.84 MX$857

-14.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$90.4 MX$1,586

4.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$86.2 MX$1,512

41.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$517 MX$9,062

216.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$437 MX$7,658

182.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$1,063 MX$18.6K

191.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$810 MX$14.2K

150.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

$2,357 MX$41.3K

232.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

$1,280 MX$22.5K

242.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

$620 MX$10.9K

159.43%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Merida: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $517 in Merida. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 159% 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 $51.0 in Merida for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $253 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 86% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,233 including rent). Merida is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 159% 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 $517 in Merida. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $382 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 $2,291 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 86% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.