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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $3,266 in Mexico City.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 57% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Mexico City 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.20

$13.07 MX$227

23.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$53.8 MX$936

17.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.05

$9.68 MX$168

6.61%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$3.74 MX$65.1

-24.33%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$1.62 MX$28.12

41.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$1.16 MX$20.22

36.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$3.23 MX$56.2

5.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$4.74 MX$82.5

-14.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$1.65 MX$28.67

-33.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$2.75 MX$47.92

-36.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.87 MX$32.62

-5.88%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.78

$2.50 MX$43.51

26.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.57

$10.20 MX$178

29.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.99

$8.25 MX$144

-3.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.62

$11.82 MX$206

31.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.08

$3.01 MX$52.4

-21.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.50

$1.81 MX$31.53

-5.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$2.00 MX$34.79

0.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$2.00 MX$34.72

21.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.08 MX$36.28

-15.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.27 MX$39.54

-10.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.46 MX$25.35

31.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.08 MX$18.73

-21.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.77

$4.35 MX$75.7

51.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$16.99 MX$296

-67.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.73 MX$30.17

-23.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.61

$3.58 MX$62.3

-17.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €2.00

$0.39 MX$6.74

484.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.15

$18.69 MX$325

145.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.71

$1.33 MX$23.07

218.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.28 MX$4.87

189.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.17

$5.25 MX$91.4

251.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.34 MX$23.26

55.22%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$19.4K MX$337.8K

78.61%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$23.8K MX$414.8K

64.31%

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

$148 €130

$40.69 MX$708

263.85%

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

$20.46 €17.94

$26.87 MX$468

-23.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.68

$30.51 MX$531

29.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.08

$52.8 MX$919

-9.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.31

$26.65 MX$464

-30.21%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.09

$6.51 MX$113

41.63%

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

$616 €540

$428 MX$7,450

43.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$10.5K MX$182.7K

56.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.1

$57.3 MX$996

79.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.60

$45.50 MX$792

-8.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.1

$104 MX$1,811

-8.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$108 MX$1,877

13.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,431

$1,003 MX$17.5K

62.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,081

$623 MX$10.8K

97.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,717

$2,109 MX$36.7K

46.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,781

$1,218 MX$21.2K

66.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,866

$3,885 MX$67.6K

101.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,849

$2,033 MX$35.4K

115.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,409

$1,038 MX$18.1K

54.88%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 55% 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 $54.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $267 vs $292, 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 57% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,456 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 55% 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 $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $428 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 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,456 in Mexico City versus $2,291 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 57% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.