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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 51% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Mexico City 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.80

$13.18 MX$230

20.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €56.2

$53.9 MX$941

20.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.12

$9.42 MX$165

11.57%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.49

$3.55 MX$62.0

-19.15%

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

$2.24 €1.95

$1.62 MX$28.25

38.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$1.11 MX$19.46

35.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.03

$3.12 MX$54.5

11.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.37

$4.63 MX$80.8

-16.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.99

$1.70 MX$29.71

-32.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.52

$2.72 MX$47.47

-35.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.52

$1.91 MX$33.39

-7.85%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.79

$2.54 MX$44.28

26.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.70

$10.03 MX$175

34.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.87

$8.09 MX$141

-2.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.77

$11.62 MX$203

36.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €2.00

$2.97 MX$51.8

-22.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.48

$1.81 MX$31.54

-6.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.74

$2.01 MX$35.15

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.13

$2.03 MX$35.53

21.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.60

$2.12 MX$37.10

-13.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.74

$2.27 MX$39.63

-11.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.40 MX$24.45

37.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$1.13 MX$19.74

-30.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.73

$4.27 MX$74.6

54.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.97

$15.56 MX$272

-63.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.76 MX$30.68

-22.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.58

$3.60 MX$62.8

-17.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.06

$0.38 MX$6.69

523.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.52

$19.18 MX$335

137.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.72

$1.38 MX$24.02

210.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.28 MX$4.83

192.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.88

$5.45 MX$95.1

235.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.79

$1.30 MX$22.77

58.46%

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

$34.3K €29.7K

$18.7K MX$326.3K

83.44%

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

$39.3K €34.1K

$23.1K MX$403.9K

69.88%

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

$148 €128

$40.86 MX$714

261.89%

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

$20.52 €17.80

$26.81 MX$468

-23.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.37

$29.96 MX$523

32.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.51

$52.0 MX$908

-8.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.42

$26.84 MX$469

-29.51%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.97

$6.30 MX$110

45.71%

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

$614 €533

$436 MX$7,616

40.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.9K

$10.4K MX$181.9K

54.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.8

$56.7 MX$989

84.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.49

$44.38 MX$775

-5.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €81.5

$103 MX$1,797

-8.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €104

$106 MX$1,843

13.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,412

$1,022 MX$17.8K

59.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,089

$631 MX$11.0K

98.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,629

$2,136 MX$37.3K

41.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,753

$1,243 MX$21.7K

62.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,766

$3,903 MX$68.2K

99.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,707

$2,064 MX$36.0K

106.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,391

$1,115 MX$19.5K

43.80%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 44% 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 $54.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $288, 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 51% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,467 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 44% 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 $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $436 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 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,467 in Mexico City versus $2,210 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 51% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.