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: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $826 in Merida.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,423 in Merida.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $2,020 in Merida.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 174% more expensive than in Merida, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Merida is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.13

$12.16 VES 10.1K

44.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$59.8 VES 49.7K

7.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$11.07 VES 9,193

5.24%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$2.44 VES 2,027

33.61%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$2.14 VES 1,778

16.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$1.35 VES 1,124

23.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$1.98 VES 1,646

75.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$2.97 VES 2,465

20.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$2.04 VES 1,697

-42.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$3.16 VES 2,626

-38.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$2.02 VES 1,680

-22.77%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$2.52 VES 2,089

59.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.45

$6.60 VES 5,480

101.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$7.98 VES 6,629

5.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$7.54 VES 6,262

141.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$5.03 VES 4,174

-53.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.40 VES 1,163

23.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$2.87 VES 2,381

-32.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.28

$2.32 VES 1,929

13.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$2.00 VES 1,662

-5.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.31 VES 1,089

61.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.54 VES 1,282

-6.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$2.63 VES 2,181

-69.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$3.66 VES 3,040

91.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$10.96 VES 9,105

-45.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.43 VES 1,189

-4.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.22 VES 1,844

-3.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.29 VES 241

720.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.86

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$3.91 VES 3,250

7.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$1.47 VES 1,220

-25.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$5.98 VES 4,963

188.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$0.70 VES 584

221.43%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$45.9K VES 38.1M

-24.87%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$49.5K VES 41.1M

-15.88%

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

$171 €147

$12.68 VES 10.5K

1247.63%

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

$19.01 €16.39

$10.50 VES 8,716

81.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.56

$30.25 VES 25.1K

13.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.81

$30.24 VES 25.1K

64.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.82

$15.16 VES 12.6K

28.69%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$4.96 VES 4,121

103.63%

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

$699 €603

$89.7 VES 74.5K

679.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$2,355 VES 2.0M

654.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$74.5 VES 61.9K

40.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.36

$41.48 VES 34.4K

15.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$98.4 VES 81.7K

3.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$97.7 VES 81.2K

31.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,433

$136 VES 112.7K

1124.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$94.8 VES 78.7K

1196.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,514

$227 VES 188.4K

1184.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,745

$193 VES 160.4K

947.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,010

$1,182 VES 981.9K

587.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,997

$1,212 VES 1.0M

282.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$288 VES 239.5K

461.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

-84.88%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Merida: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $136 in Merida. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 462% 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: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $60.0 in Merida. Groceries flip the comparison at $281 vs $289, 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 174% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $826 including rent). Merida is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 462% 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $136 in Merida. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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

All in, you'll spend $2,268 per month in Lisbon versus $826 in Merida – a 174% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $826 in Merida versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $1,000 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 174% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.