Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Puebla

For one person, living is cheaper in Puebla: $1,134 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $13,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,223
/mo nomad
Puebla
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,134
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Puebla

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Puebla actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,223 in Lisbon versus $1,134 in Puebla.

  • Lisbon $2,223
  • Puebla $1,134

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,271 in Lisbon versus $1,818 in Puebla.

  • Lisbon $3,271
  • Puebla $1,818

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,319 in Lisbon versus $2,503 in Puebla.

  • Lisbon $4,319
  • Puebla $2,503

Living in Lisbon is roughly 96% more expensive than in Puebla, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Puebla is 16% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Puebla
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.50 €14.67
$9.66 MX$179
70.81%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.3 €54.5
$47.46 MX$877
29.06%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.27 €10.03
$9.56 MX$177
17.89%
Cappuccino
$3.06 €2.72
$3.13 MX$57.8
-2.24%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 €2.01
$1.52 MX$28.02
48.68%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.73 €1.54
$1.19 MX$21.94
45.38%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.39 €3.02
$2.66 MX$49.22
27.44%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.40 €3.02
$3.79 MX$70.1
-10.29%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Puebla
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 €1.00
$1.54 MX$28.52
-27.27%
White Bread (500g)
$1.86 €1.65
$3.04 MX$56.2
-38.82%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.53 €1.36
$1.77 MX$32.74
-13.56%
Eggs
$3.96 €3.53
$3.39 MX$62.7
16.81%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.76 €11.35
$6.52 MX$120
95.71%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.90 €7.02
$5.75 MX$106
37.39%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.97 €15.09
$11.22 MX$207
51.25%
Apples (1kg)
$2.27 €2.02
$2.57 MX$47.54
-11.67%
Banana (1kg)
$1.75 €1.55
$1.70 MX$31.38
2.94%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.85 €1.64
$1.88 MX$34.82
-1.60%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.57 €2.28
$2.02 MX$37.41
27.23%
Potato (1kg)
$1.86 €1.65
$2.10 MX$38.86
-11.43%
Onion (1kg)
$2.02 €1.80
$1.94 MX$35.77
4.12%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.44 €1.28
$1.44 MX$26.56
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.82 €0.73
$1.29 MX$23.82
-36.43%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.56 €5.83
$5.06 MX$93.5
29.64%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.62 €5.00
$13.97 MX$258
-59.77%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.28 €1.14
$1.46 MX$26.99
-12.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.07 €1.84
$2.57 MX$47.41
-19.46%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Puebla
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.35 €2.09
$0.53 MX$9.88
343.40%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.18 €39.30
$24.90 MX$460
77.43%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.99 €3.55
$5.31 MX$98.1
-24.86%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.09 €0.97
$1.91 MX$35.29
-42.93%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.64 €14.81
$15.79 MX$292
5.38%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.28 €2.03
$1.50 MX$27.78
52.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.7K €30.0K
$21.2K MX$391.4K
58.99%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.3K €35.0K
$24.3K MX$449.8K
61.43%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Puebla
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$167 €149
$60.9 MX$1,126
174.98%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.80 €16.72
$18.89 MX$349
-0.48%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.09 €29.43
$23.61 MX$436
40.15%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Puebla
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.01 €40.93
$42.49 MX$785
8.28%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.19 €17.07
$13.06 MX$241
46.94%
Cinema Ticket
$9.84 €8.75
$5.63 MX$104
74.78%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Puebla
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$677 €602
$419 MX$7,742
61.65%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.9K €15.1K
$19.8K MX$365.9K
-14.55%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Puebla
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$101 €90.1
$59.2 MX$1,094
71.07%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.76 €40.70
$61.3 MX$1,133
-25.34%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$100.0 €88.9
$101 MX$1,871
-1.26%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$123 €109
$97.7 MX$1,805
25.68%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Puebla
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,614 €1,436
$631 MX$11.7K
155.58%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,197 €1,065
$355 MX$6,555
237.47%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,862 €2,545
$874 MX$16.1K
227.53%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,990 €1,770
$675 MX$12.5K
194.82%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,577 €6,740
$1,652 MX$30.5K
358.59%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,307 €3,831
$904 MX$16.7K
376.29%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Puebla
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,588 €1,412
$664 MX$12.3K
139.00%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
10.96
-64.87%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Last update for Puebla: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Puebla
$355 70.4% $842
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$269
Puebla
$261 3.1% $8.5
Eating Out
Lisbon
$242
Puebla
$175 27.7% $67
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$219
Puebla
$103 52.9% $116
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Puebla
$144 13.6% $23
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$66
Puebla
$54 18.2% $12
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Puebla
$42 33.5% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,614 in Lisbon and $631 in Puebla. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 139% 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: $61.0 in Lisbon vs $47.00 in Puebla for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $261 per month, with Puebla cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇲🇽 Puebla
🕒 Local time
13:35 1:35 PM
06:35 6:35 AM
7 h behind Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
1,542,232
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Puebla 8,620 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Puebla

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Puebla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Puebla?
Lisbon and Puebla differ by about 96% in total monthly costs ($2,223 vs $1,134 including rent). Puebla is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Lisbon or Puebla?
Average pay runs 139% higher in Lisbon, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Lisbon and in Puebla?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,614 in Lisbon versus $631 in Puebla. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Lisbon and Puebla?
Childcare runs $677 in Lisbon versus $419 in Puebla. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $1,134 in Puebla versus $2,223 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Puebla but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Puebla the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Puebla?
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.
Is Lisbon or Puebla safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Puebla are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Lisbon or Puebla?
Expats usually find Puebla gentler on the wallet – expenses run 96% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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