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: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $1,534 in Queretaro.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $2,362 in Queretaro.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $3,190 in Queretaro.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 48% more expensive than in Queretaro, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 64% above, Queretaro 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$12.01 MX$204

46.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$65.4 MX$1,109

-1.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$9.50 MX$161

22.63%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$3.97 MX$67.4

-17.88%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$1.84 MX$31.21

35.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$1.11 MX$18.82

50.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$3.94 MX$66.8

-11.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$5.82 MX$98.8

-38.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.91 MX$32.40

-38.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$2.84 MX$48.23

-31.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$2.12 MX$35.92

-26.42%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$2.97 MX$50.4

35.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$9.68 MX$164

37.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$9.54 MX$162

-11.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$14.54 MX$247

25.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$3.74 MX$63.4

-37.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.70 MX$28.90

1.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$2.31 MX$39.26

-16.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.06 MX$35.02

28.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$2.08 MX$35.32

-8.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.93 MX$32.81

9.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.58 MX$26.87

-8.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$1.34 MX$22.70

-40.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$4.99 MX$84.7

40.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$18.93 MX$321

-68.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$2.39 MX$40.61

-43.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$4.64 MX$78.6

-53.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.62 MX$10.54

283.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

$27.65 MX$469

67.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$3.59 MX$60.9

16.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$2.88 MX$48.90

-61.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$11.68 MX$198

47.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.62 MX$27.50

38.89%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$22.5K MX$382.2K

53.00%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$26.0K MX$441.7K

59.85%

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

$171 €147

$64.6 MX$1,096

164.56%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$29.40 MX$499

-35.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$27.07 MX$459

26.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$61.5 MX$1,044

-19.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$26.66 MX$452

-26.82%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$8.17 MX$139

23.62%

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

$699 €603

$282 MX$4,785

147.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$5,531 MX$93.8K

221.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$55.9 MX$949

87.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$48.80 MX$828

-1.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$109 MX$1,853

-6.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$108 MX$1,831

18.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$911 MX$15.4K

82.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$614 MX$10.4K

100.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$1,613 MX$27.4K

80.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$894 MX$15.2K

126.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$2,384 MX$40.4K

240.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$1,350 MX$22.9K

243.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$952 MX$16.2K

70.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

11.99

-68.47%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Queretaro: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $911 in Queretaro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 70% 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 $65.0 in Queretaro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $328 per month, with Lisbon 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 Queretaro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Queretaro differ by about 48% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $1,534 including rent). Queretaro is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 70% 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 $911 in Queretaro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $282 in Queretaro. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 17% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,534 in Queretaro versus $2,268 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 48% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.