Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,258 in Lisbon versus $1,262 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,328 in Lisbon versus $2,158 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,397 in Lisbon versus $3,054 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 79% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.82 €13.43

$11.61 MX$201

36.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.4 €54.7

$42.75 MX$740

50.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.37 €8.80

$10.60 MX$184

-2.17%

Cappuccino

$2.89 €2.46

$3.59 MX$62.2

-19.50%

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

$2.23 €1.90

$1.45 MX$25.15

53.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.31

$0.90 MX$15.55

72.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.38 €2.87

$3.03 MX$52.5

11.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 €3.31

$4.56 MX$79.0

-14.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 €0.95

$1.45 MX$25.14

-22.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 €1.53

$1.83 MX$31.64

-1.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.48

$1.61 MX$27.85

8.70%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.69

$2.54 MX$43.95

24.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.50 €11.46

$8.54 MX$148

58.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.79 €6.61

$8.47 MX$147

-8.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.65 €13.29

$10.86 MX$188

44.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.94

$2.73 MX$47.26

-16.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.46

$1.49 MX$25.85

14.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.64

$1.94 MX$33.65

-0.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.52 €2.14

$2.16 MX$37.49

16.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.52

$1.85 MX$31.97

-3.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 €1.74

$2.19 MX$37.91

-6.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 €1.64

$1.07 MX$18.58

81.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.69

$1.08 MX$18.76

-25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.65 €5.65

$4.06 MX$70.3

63.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.79 €4.91

$10.46 MX$181

-44.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.13

$1.65 MX$28.64

-19.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 €2.47

$2.55 MX$44.13

14.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 €1.99

$0.56 MX$9.63

319.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.70 €38.80

$26.20 MX$454

74.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.20 €3.57

$3.14 MX$54.4

33.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.69

$2.37 MX$41.08

-65.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.70 €15.88

$3.24 MX$56.1

477.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.78

$1.31 MX$22.76

59.54%

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

$34.6K €29.4K

$30.5K MX$528.9K

13.32%

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

$39.7K €33.7K

$23.8K MX$412.6K

66.46%

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

$146 €124

$83.1 MX$1,440

75.43%

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

$20.84 €17.69

$22.15 MX$384

-5.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.78 €33.77

$29.37 MX$509

35.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.58 €41.25

$51.2 MX$887

-5.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.85 €16.00

$18.69 MX$324

0.86%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 €7.70

$4.89 MX$84.7

85.48%

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

$618 €525

$199 MX$3,441

211.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K €13.7K

$5,207 MX$90.2K

210.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €88.8

$35.93 MX$622

190.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.54 €34.42

$39.39 MX$682

2.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.8 €79.6

$80.3 MX$1,391

16.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €104

$87.6 MX$1,517

40.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,362

$963 MX$16.7K

66.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 €1,070

$482 MX$8,350

161.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,065 €2,602

$1,645 MX$28.5K

86.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,008 €1,705

$1,192 MX$20.6K

68.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,702 €6,539

$3,957 MX$68.5K

94.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,367 €3,707

$6,513 MX$112.8K

-32.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,638 €1,391

$726 MX$12.6K

125.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

11.42

-66.64%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 126% 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: $64 in Lisbon vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $253 per month, with Playa del Carmen 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 Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Playa del Carmen differ by about 79% in total monthly costs ($2,258 vs $1,262 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 126% 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: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $618 in Lisbon versus $199 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,262 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,258 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen 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 Playa del Carmen 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 Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 79% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.