Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Morelia Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Morelia

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $1,199 in Morelia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $1,900 in Morelia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $2,601 in Morelia.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 93% more expensive than in Morelia, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Morelia is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.89

$7.61 MX$128

127.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$41.28 MX$697

53.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.80

$6.37 MX$108

78.81%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.75

$3.65 MX$61.7

-12.60%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$1.26 MX$21.30

94.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$1.24 MX$20.89

41.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$2.92 MX$49.20

22.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$4.15 MX$70.0

-18.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.92 MX$32.36

-35.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$2.70 MX$45.60

-26.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.80 MX$30.46

-15.56%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.48

$2.60 MX$43.90

55.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.65

$10.45 MX$176

29.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.22

$10.20 MX$172

-17.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.70

$12.21 MX$206

49.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$2.98 MX$50.4

-23.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.77 MX$29.93

-1.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$2.09 MX$35.24

-11.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$1.96 MX$33.12

34.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$2.08 MX$35.02

-7.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$1.96 MX$33.03

6.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.54 MX$25.91

-6.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$1.19 MX$20.11

-29.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$4.05 MX$68.3

67.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$11.29 MX$191

-49.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.95 MX$32.99

-29.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$3.59 MX$60.6

-38.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$0.67 MX$11.33

258.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.25

$26.06 MX$440

79.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$1.50 MX$25.31

178.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.16 MX$19.64

-1.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.21

$6.05 MX$102

192.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.56 MX$26.28

48.72%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$22.5K MX$380.1K

56.89%

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

$41.4K €35.7K

$25.5K MX$431.1K

62.25%

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

$170 €147

$53.4 MX$901

219.21%

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

$19.34 €16.64

$23.96 MX$404

-19.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.95

$32.67 MX$551

2.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.39

$56.3 MX$951

-14.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.12

$29.62 MX$500

-32.82%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.54

$4.62 MX$78.0

114.72%

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

$717 €617

$233 MX$3,930

208.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$3,063 MX$51.7K

470.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$60.7 MX$1,025

72.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.40

$41.41 MX$699

13.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.0

$116 MX$1,960

-10.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$93.9 MX$1,584

32.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,443

$377 MX$6,366

344.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,094

$374 MX$6,318

239.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,568

$991 MX$16.7K

201.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,715

$756 MX$12.8K

163.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,734

$1,768 MX$29.8K

342.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,008

$696 MX$11.7K

569.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,362

$699 MX$11.8K

126.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

10.53

-64.01%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Morelia: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $377 in Morelia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 127% 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 $41.00 in Morelia. Groceries flip the comparison at $283 vs $297, 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 Morelia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Morelia differ by about 93% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $1,199 including rent). Morelia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 127% 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: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $377 in Morelia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $717 in Lisbon versus $233 in Morelia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,199 in Morelia versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Morelia but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Morelia 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 Morelia 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 Morelia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 93% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.