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: $2,243 in Lisbon versus $944 in Morelia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,501 in Morelia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,387 in Lisbon versus $2,059 in Morelia.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 138% more expensive than Morelia, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 67% above, Morelia is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.73 €13.42

$7.26 MX$126

116.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 €53.9

$31.62 MX$548

99.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €8.80

$6.18 MX$107

66.99%

Cappuccino

$2.81 €2.40

$3.22 MX$55.8

-12.73%

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

$2.33 €1.99

$0.89 MX$15.42

161.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 €1.29

$1.16 MX$20.15

30.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 €2.87

$2.06 MX$35.69

63.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.34

$3.76 MX$65.1

3.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.92

$1.66 MX$28.73

-34.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.49

$2.67 MX$46.33

-34.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.61 MX$27.88

8.70%

Eggs

$3.10 €2.64

$2.50 MX$43.29

24.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.28 €11.33

$7.23 MX$125

83.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 €6.70

$8.13 MX$141

-3.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.05 €13.69

$11.16 MX$193

43.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$2.97 MX$51.5

-19.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.47

$1.43 MX$24.86

20.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$1.39 MX$24.03

41.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.17

$2.00 MX$34.60

27.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$2.04 MX$35.38

-12.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$2.19 MX$38.01

-10.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 €1.67

$1.17 MX$20.22

67.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.71

$1.08 MX$18.69

-22.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.82

$2.98 MX$51.6

128.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.85 €4.99

$11.63 MX$202

-49.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.55 MX$26.79

-10.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 €2.49

$2.09 MX$36.23

39.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €1.95

$0.55 MX$9.47

316.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.88 €39.99

$23.33 MX$404

100.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 €3.51

$1.36 MX$23.64

202.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.69

$1.54 MX$26.73

-47.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.94 €16.16

$5.15 MX$89.3

267.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.78

$1.32 MX$22.83

58.33%

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

$35.1K €30.0K

$13.2K MX$228.0K

166.91%

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

$39.7K €33.9K

$16.2K MX$279.9K

145.93%

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

$150 €128

$40.62 MX$704

268.19%

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

$20.49 €17.48

$20.53 MX$356

-0.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.15 €33.40

$28.22 MX$489

38.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.35

$52.3 MX$906

-5.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.47 €15.76

$14.48 MX$251

27.56%

Cinema Ticket

$9.20 €7.84

$4.16 MX$72.1

121.15%

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

$624 €533

$183 MX$3,165

241.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K €13.6K

$3,136 MX$54.3K

407.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €87.2

$43.46 MX$753

135.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 €34.87

$30.28 MX$525

35.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 €81.6

$81.9 MX$1,420

16.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €103

$105 MX$1,812

15.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 €1,410

$329 MX$5,710

401.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 €1,051

$229 MX$3,966

438.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,043 €2,596

$1,013 MX$17.6K

200.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,059 €1,756

$485 MX$8,399

324.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,879 €6,720

$1,702 MX$29.5K

362.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,303 €3,671

$679 MX$11.8K

533.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,566 €1,336

$714 MX$12.4K

119.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

11.25

-66.13%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 21, 2026

Last update for Morelia: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,653 in Lisbon and $329 in Morelia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 119% 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 in Lisbon vs $32 in Morelia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $270 vs $258 per month, with Morelia cheaper across the board.

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 138% in total monthly costs ($2,243 vs $944 including rent). Morelia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 119% 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: $1,653 in Lisbon versus $329 in Morelia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $624 in Lisbon versus $183 in Morelia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $944 in Morelia versus $2,243 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 138% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.