Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Piedras Negras Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Piedras Negras

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $1,220 in Piedras Negras.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $1,971 in Piedras Negras.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $2,722 in Piedras Negras.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 90% more expensive than in Piedras Negras, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Piedras Negras is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.89

$11.65 MX$197

48.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$47.04 MX$794

34.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.80

$9.30 MX$157

22.47%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.75

$3.80 MX$64.1

-16.05%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$1.50 MX$25.39

63.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$1.14 MX$19.21

54.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$2.86 MX$48.35

25.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$4.48 MX$75.5

-24.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.72 MX$29.00

-27.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$2.77 MX$46.82

-28.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.81 MX$30.59

-16.02%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.48

$2.60 MX$43.97

55.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.65

$8.90 MX$150

52.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.22

$8.72 MX$147

-3.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.70

$12.47 MX$210

46.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$2.96 MX$49.98

-22.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.69 MX$28.53

2.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$2.08 MX$35.17

-10.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$1.90 MX$32.00

38.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$2.07 MX$34.97

-7.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$1.90 MX$32.07

10.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.47 MX$24.76

-2.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$1.15 MX$19.40

-26.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$4.76 MX$80.4

42.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$11.32 MX$191

-49.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.95 MX$32.91

-29.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$3.44 MX$58.1

-35.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$0.73 MX$12.31

228.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.25

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$2.76 MX$46.61

51.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.94 MX$32.77

-41.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.21

$11.90 MX$201

48.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.46 MX$24.60

58.90%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$22.9K MX$386.7K

54.22%

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

$41.4K €35.7K

$25.7K MX$433.4K

61.38%

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

$170 €147

$61.5 MX$1,038

176.96%

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

$19.34 €16.64

$24.00 MX$405

-19.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.95

$31.51 MX$532

6.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.39

$36.79 MX$621

30.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.12

$21.26 MX$359

-6.40%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.54

$5.67 MX$95.7

74.96%

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

$717 €617

$248 MX$4,188

189.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$4,447 MX$75.1K

293.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$59.0 MX$995

77.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.40

$44.76 MX$755

4.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.0

$109 MX$1,846

-5.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$91.6 MX$1,545

35.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,443

$661 MX$11.1K

153.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,094

$424 MX$7,162

199.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,568

$1,107 MX$18.7K

169.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,715

$822 MX$13.9K

142.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,734

$2,002 MX$33.8K

290.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,008

$1,255 MX$21.2K

271.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,362

$1,793 MX$30.3K

-11.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

11.3

-66.46%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Piedras Negras: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $661 in Piedras Negras. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Piedras Negras pays 13% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $47.00 in Piedras Negras for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $282 per month, with Piedras Negras 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 Piedras Negras: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Piedras Negras differ by about 90% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $1,220 including rent). Piedras Negras is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 13% lower in Piedras Negras. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $661 in Piedras Negras. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 0% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,316 per month in Lisbon versus $1,220 in Piedras Negras – a 90% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,220 in Piedras Negras versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Piedras Negras but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Piedras Negras 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 Piedras Negras 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 Piedras Negras gentler on the wallet – expenses run 90% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.