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 $728 in Merida.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,239 in Merida.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,750 in Merida.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 215% more expensive than in Merida, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Merida is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$9.91 VES 7,285

63.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$44.60 VES 32.8K

42.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$9.82 VES 7,217

5.09%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$1.57 VES 1,155

80.25%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$1.15 VES 844

99.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.81 VES 597

95.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$1.14 VES 837

198.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$1.48 VES 1,089

172.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$2.11 VES 1,549

-48.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$2.42 VES 1,777

-27.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.65 VES 1,215

6.67%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.10 VES 1,547

50.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$5.51 VES 4,054

139.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$6.44 VES 4,737

23.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$7.35 VES 5,405

111.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$4.95 VES 3,642

-52.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.07 VES 785

59.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.72 VES 1,262

16.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$1.04 VES 765

133.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.91 VES 667

93.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.19 VES 871

70.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.27 VES 935

51.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.81 VES 1,331

-53.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$4.10 VES 3,016

60.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$10.94 VES 8,044

-48.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.17 VES 861

13.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$1.37 VES 1,007

116.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.27 VES 197

744.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$3.93 VES 2,888

7.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$2.45 VES 1,800

-66.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$0.48 VES 353

333.33%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$45.4K VES 33.4M

-23.64%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$37.5K VES 27.6M

4.44%

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

$148 €130

$13.23 VES 9,726

1019.05%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$10.11 VES 7,428

102.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$37.46 VES 27.5K

5.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$25.06 VES 18.4K

91.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

$14.86 VES 10.9K

25.17%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$7.19 VES 5,285

28.23%

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

$616 €539

$57.7 VES 42.4K

968.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$89.4 VES 65.7K

14.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$39.33 VES 28.9K

6.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$85.8 VES 63.0K

10.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$63.9 VES 47.0K

90.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$115 VES 84.3K

1323.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$89.0 VES 65.4K

1284.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$209 VES 153.3K

1385.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$191 VES 140.5K

962.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

$1,171 VES 861.1K

568.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

$1,223 VES 898.7K

259.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

$290 VES 213.2K

454.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

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 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $115 in Merida. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 454% 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 $45.00 in Merida for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $237 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 215% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $728 including rent). Merida is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 454% 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 $115 in Merida. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,291 per month in Lisbon versus $728 in Merida – a 215% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $728 in Merida versus $2,291 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 215% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.