Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Monterrey Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Monterrey

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,601 in Monterrey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $2,585 in Monterrey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $3,568 in Monterrey.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 38% more expensive than Monterrey, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Monterrey 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$13.01 MX$226

22.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$53.8 MX$932

20.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$10.21 MX$177

2.94%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$3.68 MX$63.8

-22.01%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$1.46 MX$25.34

53.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$1.00 MX$17.31

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$2.70 MX$46.70

29.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$4.27 MX$74.0

-9.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.67 MX$28.86

-31.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$2.68 MX$46.43

-34.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.93 MX$33.41

-8.81%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.63 MX$45.57

22.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.62

$10.34 MX$179

30.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$9.22 MX$160

-14.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$13.84 MX$240

14.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$3.15 MX$54.6

-26.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.39 MX$24.06

22.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.00 MX$34.65

0.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.14 MX$37.10

14.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$2.27 MX$39.26

-18.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$2.54 MX$44.08

-21.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.57 MX$27.14

22.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$1.07 MX$18.53

-26.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$4.25 MX$73.6

55.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$14.36 MX$249

-60.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.78 MX$30.87

-23.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$3.14 MX$54.5

-5.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.80 MX$13.89

196.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.23

$40.54 MX$703

12.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$1.68 MX$29.11

155.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.94 MX$16.31

-12.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$10.76 MX$186

70.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.37 MX$23.72

50.36%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$26.7K MX$463.4K

28.18%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$25.6K MX$443.3K

53.59%

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

$148 €127

$122 MX$2,108

21.54%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$27.19 MX$471

-24.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.11

$29.82 MX$517

32.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.20

$38.49 MX$667

24.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$21.46 MX$372

-11.84%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$5.92 MX$103

55.07%

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

$614 €529

$346 MX$5,990

77.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$8,997 MX$155.9K

78.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$58.4 MX$1,012

79.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.22

$42.55 MX$737

-1.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$109 MX$1,896

-14.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$129 MX$2,235

-7.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,402

$913 MX$15.8K

78.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$647 MX$11.2K

93.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$1,565 MX$27.1K

93.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,740

$1,401 MX$24.3K

44.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,716

$4,371 MX$75.7K

78.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,679

$2,839 MX$49.2K

50.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,381

$1,104 MX$19.1K

45.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

11.55

-67.01%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $913 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 45% 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 Monterrey. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $298, 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 Monterrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Monterrey differ by about 38% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,601 including rent). Monterrey is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 45% 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 $913 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $346 in Monterrey. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,601 in Monterrey versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Monterrey but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Monterrey 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 Monterrey 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 Monterrey gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.