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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,618 in Monterrey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $2,585 in Monterrey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $3,552 in Monterrey.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 42% more expensive than in Monterrey, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Monterrey 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$13.41 MX$234

20.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$52.7 MX$917

20.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$10.11 MX$176

2.08%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$3.73 MX$64.9

-24.13%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$1.44 MX$25.12

59.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$1.00 MX$17.48

58.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$2.67 MX$46.47

27.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$4.20 MX$73.1

-4.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$1.66 MX$28.98

-34.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$2.72 MX$47.28

-35.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.95 MX$33.93

-9.74%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.66 MX$46.37

19.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$10.21 MX$178

29.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$8.91 MX$155

-10.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$13.78 MX$240

12.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$3.04 MX$52.9

-22.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.40 MX$24.42

22.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$2.02 MX$35.09

-0.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$2.07 MX$36.10

17.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.32 MX$40.36

-24.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.55 MX$44.45

-20.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.51 MX$26.29

27.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.08 MX$18.80

-21.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$4.25 MX$73.9

54.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$14.28 MX$249

-60.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.79 MX$31.09

-25.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$3.18 MX$55.3

-6.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.77 MX$13.44

196.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$40.89 MX$712

11.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$1.76 MX$30.58

140.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.99 MX$17.27

-18.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$10.39 MX$181

77.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.34 MX$23.37

55.22%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$26.6K MX$463.9K

30.12%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$25.6K MX$445.0K

53.21%

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

$148 €130

$121 MX$2,113

22.01%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$27.40 MX$477

-25.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$29.75 MX$518

32.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$37.46 MX$652

28.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

$21.78 MX$379

-14.60%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$5.75 MX$100

60.35%

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

$616 €540

$348 MX$6,054

77.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$8,983 MX$156.4K

83.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$59.1 MX$1,029

73.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$41.88 MX$729

-0.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$107 MX$1,867

-11.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$128 MX$2,232

-4.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$889 MX$15.5K

83.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$646 MX$11.2K

90.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$1,577 MX$27.5K

96.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$1,378 MX$24.0K

47.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$4,238 MX$73.8K

84.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$2,757 MX$48.0K

59.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$1,133 MX$19.7K

41.91%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Monterrey: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $889 in Monterrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 42% 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 $53.0 in Monterrey. Groceries flip the comparison at $267 vs $296, 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 42% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,618 including rent). Monterrey is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 42% 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 $889 in Monterrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $348 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 $1,618 in Monterrey versus $2,291 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 42% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.