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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,050 in Piedras Negras.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,674 in Piedras Negras.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $2,298 in Piedras Negras.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 110% more expensive than Piedras Negras, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Piedras Negras is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.81

$7.76 MX$136

105.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €56.2

$24.24 MX$423

167.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.12

$7.86 MX$137

33.72%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.49

$2.50 MX$43.60

14.80%

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

$2.24 €1.95

$1.28 MX$22.40

75.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.63 MX$11.00

138.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.03

$1.36 MX$23.72

156.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.37

$2.85 MX$49.77

36.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.99

$1.71 MX$29.93

-33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.52

$3.12 MX$54.6

-43.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.52

$1.74 MX$30.35

1.15%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.79

$3.69 MX$64.4

-12.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.71

$9.70 MX$169

39.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.87

$4.66 MX$81.4

69.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.77

$12.92 MX$226

22.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €2.00

$2.61 MX$45.58

-11.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.48

$1.34 MX$23.38

26.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.74

$1.57 MX$27.39

28.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.13

$2.16 MX$37.66

13.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.60

$2.21 MX$38.52

-16.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.74

$1.83 MX$31.88

9.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.16 MX$20.33

66.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$1.17 MX$20.35

-32.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.73

$4.22 MX$73.6

56.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.97

$11.00 MX$192

-48.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.62 MX$28.37

-15.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.58

$3.48 MX$60.8

-14.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.06

$0.95 MX$16.63

149.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.53

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.72

$4.41 MX$77.1

-2.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.71

$1.55 MX$27.06

-47.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.88

$8.25 MX$144

121.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.79

$1.24 MX$21.59

66.13%

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

$34.3K €29.7K

$18.3K MX$319.1K

87.63%

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

$39.3K €34.1K

$23.8K MX$415.6K

65.13%

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

$148 €128

$55.9 MX$976

164.57%

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

$20.52 €17.80

$17.33 MX$303

18.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.37

$25.34 MX$443

56.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.51

$35.58 MX$621

34.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.42

$15.62 MX$273

21.13%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.97

$4.75 MX$83.0

93.26%

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

$614 €533

$205 MX$3,583

199.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.9K

$3,562 MX$62.2K

350.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.8

$44.19 MX$772

136.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.49

$40.24 MX$703

4.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €81.5

$89.8 MX$1,568

4.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €104

$72.8 MX$1,272

64.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,412

$505 MX$8,816

222.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,089

$390 MX$6,803

222.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,629

$944 MX$16.5K

220.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,753

$770 MX$13.5K

162.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,767

$1,978 MX$34.5K

294.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,707

$1,261 MX$22.0K

238.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,391

$1,737 MX$30.3K

-7.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

11.48

-66.81%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Piedras Negras: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $505 in Piedras Negras. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Piedras Negras pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $24.00 in Piedras Negras for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $265 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 110% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,050 including rent). Piedras Negras is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Piedras Negras earns 8% less. 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $505 in Piedras Negras. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $1,050 in Piedras Negras – a 110% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,050 in Piedras Negras versus $2,210 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 110% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.