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 $723 in Merida.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,220 in Merida.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,717 in Merida.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 206% more expensive than Merida, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Merida is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$10.17 VES 5,669

56.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$45.85 VES 25.5K

41.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$10.13 VES 5,646

3.75%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$1.56 VES 868

83.97%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$1.14 VES 633

96.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.83 VES 461

80.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$1.17 VES 653

198.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$1.49 VES 830

160.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$2.13 VES 1,188

-46.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$2.52 VES 1,405

-30.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.60 VES 891

10.00%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.03 VES 1,132

58.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$5.59 VES 3,113

141.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$6.29 VES 3,506

25.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$7.28 VES 4,058

117.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$4.94 VES 2,753

-53.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.07 VES 595

58.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.66 VES 922

21.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.04 VES 579

136.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$0.98 VES 546

87.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.18 VES 659

69.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.24 VES 693

55.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$1.81 VES 1,008

-56.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$4.11 VES 2,288

60.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$10.96 VES 6,107

-47.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.18 VES 656

16.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.38 VES 771

115.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.29 VES 162

717.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$4.05 VES 2,259

5.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$2.47 VES 1,379

-66.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.51 VES 285

303.92%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$44.3K VES 24.7M

-22.54%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$37.2K VES 20.8M

5.50%

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

$148 €127

$13.38 VES 7,454

1005.16%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$9.94 VES 5,537

106.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$36.89 VES 20.6K

7.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$25.15 VES 14.0K

90.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$15.07 VES 8,399

25.55%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$6.96 VES 3,876

31.90%

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

$614 €528

$58.1 VES 32.4K

955.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$90.5 VES 50.4K

15.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$39.48 VES 22.0K

6.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$85.0 VES 47.3K

10.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$65.0 VES 36.2K

84.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$118 VES 65.9K

1275.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$89.2 VES 49.7K

1306.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$208 VES 115.9K

1357.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$192 VES 106.9K

953.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$1,155 VES 643.5K

575.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$1,189 VES 662.7K

259.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$286 VES 159.2K

461.22%

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: 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 $118 in Merida. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 461% 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 $46.00 in Merida for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 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 206% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $723 including rent). Merida is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 461% 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 $118 in Merida. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $723 in Merida – a 206% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $723 in Merida versus $2,210 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 206% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.