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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,571 in Puerto Vallarta.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $2,412 in Puerto Vallarta.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $3,253 in Puerto Vallarta.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 46% more expensive than in Puerto Vallarta, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Puerto Vallarta 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.15

$10.75 MX$188

50.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.3

$47.73 MX$835

32.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.02

$9.67 MX$169

6.72%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.47

$3.47 MX$60.7

-18.44%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$1.81 MX$31.64

26.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$1.26 MX$22.09

25.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.97

$2.60 MX$45.40

30.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$4.34 MX$75.9

-7.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.57 MX$27.47

-30.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$3.47 MX$60.7

-49.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.33 MX$40.69

-24.46%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$1.96 MX$34.31

61.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.53

$11.47 MX$201

15.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.96

$10.32 MX$180

-22.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.57

$17.00 MX$297

-8.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$2.42 MX$42.34

-2.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.41 MX$24.69

21.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.75

$1.65 MX$28.92

21.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.12

$2.33 MX$40.79

4.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.24 MX$39.16

-21.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$3.03 MX$53.0

-33.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.48 MX$25.81

29.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.15 MX$20.16

-26.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.75

$4.13 MX$72.2

59.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.87

$12.23 MX$214

-54.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.16

$2.06 MX$36.01

-35.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$3.24 MX$56.6

-8.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.51 MX$8.93

347.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.01

$16.08 MX$281

184.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.69

$2.97 MX$51.9

42.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$2.75 MX$48.11

-70.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.11

$4.32 MX$75.5

326.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.33 MX$23.21

56.39%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$15.0K MX$263.0K

130.52%

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

$39.2K €34.2K

$22.0K MX$385.3K

77.70%

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

$148 €129

$94.2 MX$1,647

57.18%

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

$20.46 €17.88

$23.56 MX$412

-13.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.56

$30.94 MX$541

27.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.93

$36.41 MX$637

31.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.25

$13.12 MX$229

41.77%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.06

$8.15 MX$142

13.13%

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

$616 €538

$362 MX$6,327

70.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$6,410 MX$112.1K

156.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.7

$52.3 MX$915

96.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.47

$33.71 MX$589

23.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.8

$99.3 MX$1,735

-4.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$93.9 MX$1,642

29.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,426

$994 MX$17.4K

64.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,077

$684 MX$12.0K

80.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,707

$1,981 MX$34.6K

56.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,775

$1,278 MX$22.3K

59.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,842

$5,369 MX$93.9K

45.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,835

$2,565 MX$44.8K

71.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,404

$914 MX$16.0K

75.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

11.5

-66.87%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Puerto Vallarta: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $994 in Puerto Vallarta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 76% 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 $48.00 in Puerto Vallarta. Groceries flip the comparison at $267 vs $317, 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 Vallarta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Puerto Vallarta differ by about 46% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,571 including rent). Puerto Vallarta is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 76% 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 $994 in Puerto Vallarta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $362 in Puerto Vallarta. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 19% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,571 in Puerto Vallarta versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Puerto Vallarta but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Puerto Vallarta 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 Vallarta 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 Vallarta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.