Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,258 in Lisbon versus $1,484 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,328 in Lisbon versus $2,342 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,397 in Lisbon versus $3,199 in Mexico City.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 52% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 68% above, Mexico City 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.82 €13.43

$13.29 MX$230

19.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.4 €54.7

$53.8 MX$931

19.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.37 €8.80

$9.29 MX$161

11.63%

Cappuccino

$2.89 €2.46

$3.61 MX$62.5

-19.94%

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

$2.23 €1.90

$1.56 MX$26.97

42.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.31

$1.12 MX$19.42

38.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.38 €2.87

$3.13 MX$54.1

7.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 €3.31

$4.71 MX$81.5

-17.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 €0.95

$1.70 MX$29.48

-34.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 €1.53

$2.77 MX$47.92

-35.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.48

$1.96 MX$33.97

-10.71%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.69

$2.60 MX$45.11

21.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.50 €11.46

$9.94 MX$172

35.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.79 €6.61

$8.10 MX$140

-3.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.65 €13.29

$11.50 MX$199

36.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.94

$2.87 MX$49.72

-20.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.46

$1.73 MX$30.00

-1.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.64

$2.00 MX$34.65

-3.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.52 €2.14

$2.04 MX$35.30

23.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.52

$2.08 MX$36.06

-13.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 €1.74

$2.20 MX$38.03

-6.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 €1.64

$1.45 MX$25.18

33.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.69

$1.07 MX$18.59

-24.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.65 €5.65

$4.27 MX$74.0

55.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.79 €4.91

$14.32 MX$248

-59.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.13

$1.76 MX$30.55

-24.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 €2.47

$3.70 MX$64.1

-21.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 €1.99

$0.35 MX$6.11

571.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.70 €38.80

$19.19 MX$332

138.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.20 €3.57

$1.34 MX$23.13

213.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.69

$0.28 MX$4.82

189.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.70 €15.88

$5.33 MX$92.4

250.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.78

$1.34 MX$23.22

55.97%

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

$34.6K €29.4K

$19.1K MX$331.2K

80.97%

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

$39.7K €33.7K

$23.9K MX$413.6K

66.07%

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

$146 €124

$39.86 MX$690

265.91%

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

$20.84 €17.69

$26.78 MX$464

-22.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.78 €33.77

$29.36 MX$509

35.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.58 €41.25

$53.4 MX$925

-9.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.85 €16.00

$26.09 MX$452

-27.75%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 €7.70

$6.40 MX$111

41.72%

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

$618 €525

$440 MX$7,629

40.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K €13.7K

$10.8K MX$186.2K

50.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €88.8

$57.6 MX$998

81.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.54 €34.42

$45.02 MX$780

-9.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.8 €79.6

$104 MX$1,797

-9.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €104

$108 MX$1,870

13.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,362

$1,013 MX$17.5K

58.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 €1,070

$630 MX$10.9K

100.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,065 €2,602

$2,162 MX$37.4K

41.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,008 €1,705

$1,222 MX$21.2K

64.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,702 €6,539

$3,793 MX$65.7K

103.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,367 €3,707

$2,332 MX$40.4K

87.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,638 €1,391

$1,075 MX$18.6K

52.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

11.34

-66.40%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 13, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $1,013 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 52% 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 in Lisbon vs $54 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $268 vs $285, 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 Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Mexico City differ by about 52% in total monthly costs ($2,258 vs $1,484 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 52% 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: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $1,013 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $618 in Lisbon versus $440 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,484 in Mexico City versus $2,258 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City 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 Mexico City 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 Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.