Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Mexicali Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Mexicali

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,061 in Mexicali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,587 in Mexicali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $2,113 in Mexicali.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 108% more expensive than Mexicali, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Mexicali is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$12.09 MX$209

31.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$32.15 MX$557

101.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$6.26 MX$108

67.89%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.56 MX$44.38

12.11%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$1.11 MX$19.25

101.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.92 MX$16.00

63.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$1.36 MX$23.49

156.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$3.90 MX$67.6

-0.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.22 MX$21.12

-6.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$2.28 MX$39.58

-23.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.49 MX$25.74

18.12%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.62 MX$45.32

22.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.62

$2.32 MX$40.19

481.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$5.69 MX$98.6

39.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$6.43 MX$111

146.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.62 MX$28.13

42.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.28 MX$22.24

32.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.34 MX$23.24

50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.61 MX$27.83

52.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.30 MX$22.52

41.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.35 MX$23.42

48.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.07 MX$18.53

80.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.83 MX$14.31

-4.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$4.00 MX$69.4

65.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$8.56 MX$148

-33.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.93 MX$33.39

-29.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$3.33 MX$57.6

-10.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.01 MX$17.55

134.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.23

$33.81 MX$586

34.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$2.73 MX$47.27

57.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.54 MX$26.64

-46.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$3.23 MX$56.1

466.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.30 MX$22.59

58.46%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$23.5K MX$408.0K

45.60%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$20.3K MX$351.0K

93.97%

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

$148 €127

$55.8 MX$967

165.10%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$22.22 MX$385

-7.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.11

$31.18 MX$540

27.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.20

$38.44 MX$666

24.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$16.10 MX$279

17.52%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$4.07 MX$70.5

125.55%

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

$614 €529

$202 MX$3,509

203.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$2,780 MX$48.2K

477.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$26.97 MX$467

288.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.22

$31.12 MX$539

35.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$73.4 MX$1,272

28.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$69.5 MX$1,205

72.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,402

$634 MX$11.0K

156.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$394 MX$6,826

218.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$1,190 MX$20.6K

154.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,740

$673 MX$11.7K

199.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,716

$2,771 MX$48.0K

181.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,679

$1,518 MX$26.3K

181.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,381

$900 MX$15.6K

78.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

11.5

-66.87%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Mexicali: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $634 in Mexicali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 78% 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 $32.00 in Mexicali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $190 per month, with Mexicali 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 Mexicali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Mexicali differ by about 108% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,061 including rent). Mexicali is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 78% 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 $634 in Mexicali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $202 in Mexicali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,061 in Mexicali versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexicali but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Mexicali 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 Mexicali 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 Mexicali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 108% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.