Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Puerto Escondido Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Puerto Escondido

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $1,263 in Puerto Escondido.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $2,029 in Puerto Escondido.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $2,795 in Puerto Escondido.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 80% more expensive than in Puerto Escondido, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Puerto Escondido is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$11.02 MX$187

59.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$47.03 MX$798

37.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$8.85 MX$150

31.64%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$3.77 MX$63.9

-13.53%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$1.43 MX$24.21

74.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$1.09 MX$18.52

53.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$3.23 MX$54.7

7.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$4.38 MX$74.3

-18.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.96 MX$33.22

-39.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$3.21 MX$54.4

-39.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.68 MX$28.45

-7.14%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$2.92 MX$49.56

37.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$8.80 MX$149

50.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$11.73 MX$199

-28.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$12.31 MX$209

48.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$2.92 MX$49.46

-20.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.80 MX$30.55

-3.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$2.02 MX$34.28

-4.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.87 MX$31.64

41.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.75 MX$29.64

8.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$2.17 MX$36.85

-2.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.62 MX$27.46

-11.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$1.15 MX$19.57

-30.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$4.69 MX$79.6

49.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$11.66 MX$198

-49.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$2.52 MX$42.73

-46.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$3.31 MX$56.1

-35.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.86 MX$14.60

176.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$3.18 MX$53.9

31.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$1.94 MX$32.91

-43.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$12.44 MX$211

38.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.44 MX$24.43

56.25%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$26.0K MX$441.9K

32.32%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$23.4K MX$397.3K

77.73%

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

$171 €147

$65.4 MX$1,110

161.24%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$23.83 MX$404

-20.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$40.42 MX$686

-15.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$29.83 MX$506

66.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$21.25 MX$360

-8.19%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$5.74 MX$97.4

75.96%

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

$699 €603

$249 MX$4,218

181.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$5,666 MX$96.1K

213.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$61.7 MX$1,046

69.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$46.97 MX$797

2.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$95.2 MX$1,616

6.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$103 MX$1,750

24.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$654 MX$11.1K

154.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$412 MX$6,982

198.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$1,040 MX$17.6K

180.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$818 MX$13.9K

147.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$2,157 MX$36.6K

276.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$1,387 MX$23.5K

234.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$356 MX$6,044

354.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

11.3

-66.55%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Puerto Escondido: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $654 in Puerto Escondido. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 354% 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: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $47.00 in Puerto Escondido. Groceries flip the comparison at $281 vs $307, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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 Puerto Escondido: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Puerto Escondido differ by about 80% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $1,263 including rent). Puerto Escondido is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 354% 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $654 in Puerto Escondido. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,268 per month in Lisbon versus $1,263 in Puerto Escondido – a 80% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,263 in Puerto Escondido versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Puerto Escondido but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Puerto Escondido 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 Puerto Escondido 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 Puerto Escondido gentler on the wallet – expenses run 80% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.