Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Puebla Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Puebla

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,234 in Puebla.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,974 in Puebla.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $2,715 in Puebla.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 86% more expensive than in Puebla, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Puebla is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.15

$12.29 MX$215

31.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.3

$51.9 MX$907

22.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.02

$8.01 MX$140

28.84%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.47

$3.10 MX$54.2

-8.71%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$1.22 MX$21.40

87.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.91 MX$15.93

73.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.97

$2.57 MX$44.98

32.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$3.37 MX$58.9

19.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.49 MX$26.00

-26.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$2.96 MX$51.7

-40.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.59 MX$27.84

10.69%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.83 MX$49.45

12.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.53

$6.79 MX$119

94.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.96

$6.55 MX$115

21.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.57

$11.07 MX$194

40.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$2.57 MX$44.92

-7.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.35 MX$23.59

26.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.75

$1.65 MX$28.79

21.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.12

$1.84 MX$32.11

32.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.16 MX$37.81

-18.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.91 MX$33.35

6.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.28 MX$22.44

50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.24 MX$21.60

-31.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.75

$4.58 MX$80.0

43.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.87

$14.31 MX$250

-61.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.16

$1.35 MX$23.61

-1.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.86 MX$50.1

3.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.51 MX$8.96

347.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.01

$27.14 MX$475

68.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.69

$3.11 MX$54.4

36.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$1.74 MX$30.37

-53.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.11

$10.61 MX$185

73.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.31 MX$22.98

58.78%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$22.1K MX$385.9K

57.07%

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

$39.2K €34.2K

$24.0K MX$419.6K

63.17%

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

$148 €129

$68.8 MX$1,202

115.28%

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

$20.46 €17.88

$22.00 MX$385

-7.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.56

$24.85 MX$435

59.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.93

$47.37 MX$828

1.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.25

$12.45 MX$218

49.40%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.06

$5.34 MX$93.4

72.66%

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

$616 €538

$369 MX$6,448

67.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$19.0K MX$332.4K

-13.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.7

$54.1 MX$947

89.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.47

$58.5 MX$1,023

-28.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.8

$109 MX$1,905

-13.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$101 MX$1,768

20.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,426

$541 MX$9,460

201.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,077

$441 MX$7,712

179.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,707

$911 MX$15.9K

240.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,775

$843 MX$14.7K

141.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,842

$1,726 MX$30.2K

353.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,835

$947 MX$16.6K

363.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,404

$682 MX$11.9K

135.66%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Puebla: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $541 in Puebla. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 136% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $52.0 in Puebla for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $257 per month, with Puebla 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 Puebla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Puebla differ by about 86% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,234 including rent). Puebla is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 136% higher in Lisbon, 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $541 in Puebla. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $369 in Puebla. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,234 in Puebla versus $2,291 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.

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 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.

Expats usually find Puebla gentler on the wallet – expenses run 86% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.