Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Queretaro Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Queretaro

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,294 in Queretaro.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,993 in Queretaro.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $2,692 in Queretaro.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 77% more expensive than in Queretaro, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Queretaro is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.15

$9.43 MX$165

71.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.3

$45.49 MX$795

39.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.02

$7.73 MX$135

33.51%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.47

$3.53 MX$61.7

-19.83%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$1.31 MX$22.95

74.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.96 MX$16.78

64.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.97

$2.40 MX$41.91

41.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$4.28 MX$74.8

-5.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.61 MX$28.09

-32.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$2.61 MX$45.55

-32.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.93 MX$33.76

-8.81%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.32 MX$40.64

36.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.53

$8.44 MX$148

56.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.96

$9.42 MX$165

-15.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.57

$13.11 MX$229

18.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$3.58 MX$62.6

-33.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.46 MX$25.48

17.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.75

$1.90 MX$33.28

5.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.12

$1.71 MX$29.88

42.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.73 MX$30.23

1.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.84 MX$32.11

10.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.30 MX$22.77

47.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.14 MX$19.94

-25.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.75

$4.20 MX$73.4

56.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.87

$17.06 MX$298

-67.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.16

$1.94 MX$33.93

-31.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$3.26 MX$57.0

-8.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.55 MX$9.67

314.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.01

$23.65 MX$414

93.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.69

$3.26 MX$56.9

29.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$1.24 MX$21.60

-34.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.11

$9.30 MX$163

98.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.26 MX$21.98

65.08%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$19.7K MX$344.8K

75.78%

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

$39.2K €34.2K

$20.5K MX$358.8K

90.83%

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

$148 €129

$62.5 MX$1,093

136.92%

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

$20.46 €17.88

$23.75 MX$415

-13.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.56

$28.25 MX$494

40.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.93

$50.1 MX$875

-4.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.25

$26.33 MX$460

-29.36%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.06

$6.12 MX$107

50.65%

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

$616 €538

$314 MX$5,483

96.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$4,841 MX$84.7K

239.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.7

$50.8 MX$889

102.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.47

$41.93 MX$733

-0.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.8

$98.4 MX$1,720

-3.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$98.4 MX$1,720

24.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,426

$654 MX$11.4K

149.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,077

$491 MX$8,578

151.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,707

$1,200 MX$21.0K

158.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,775

$810 MX$14.2K

150.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,842

$2,327 MX$40.7K

236.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,835

$1,318 MX$23.0K

233.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,404

$914 MX$16.0K

75.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

11.55

-67.01%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Queretaro: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $654 in Queretaro. 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 $45.00 in Queretaro. Groceries flip the comparison at $267 vs $292, 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 Queretaro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Queretaro differ by about 77% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,294 including rent). Queretaro 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 $654 in Queretaro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $314 in Queretaro. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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

At $1,294 in Queretaro versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Queretaro but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Queretaro 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 Queretaro 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 Queretaro gentler on the wallet – expenses run 77% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.