Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sayulita Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sayulita

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $1,090 in Sayulita.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,769 in Sayulita.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $2,448 in Sayulita.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 109% more expensive than in Sayulita, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Sayulita is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.64

$10.39 MX$180

51.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.0

$38.75 MX$670

63.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.05

$7.83 MX$135

33.46%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.52

$3.28 MX$56.7

-11.28%

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

$2.29 €1.98

$1.27 MX$22.03

80.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.91 MX$15.70

64.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$2.24 MX$38.84

58.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.43

$3.97 MX$68.7

-0.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.42 MX$24.55

-23.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$2.54 MX$44.00

-30.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$1.58 MX$27.26

7.59%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.81

$2.42 MX$41.86

34.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.47

$8.02 MX$139

65.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.67

$7.84 MX$136

-1.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.66

$10.74 MX$186

46.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$2.69 MX$46.62

-15.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$1.44 MX$24.94

15.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.71 MX$29.58

18.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$1.69 MX$29.19

46.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$1.87 MX$32.27

-4.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$1.91 MX$33.11

8.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$1.24 MX$21.54

58.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$0.98 MX$16.89

-15.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.68

$4.29 MX$74.2

52.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.82

$10.86 MX$188

-48.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$1.61 MX$27.88

-17.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.60

$2.78 MX$48.14

8.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$0.65 MX$11.17

249.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.66

$2.62 MX$45.39

61.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$1.55 MX$26.90

-45.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.31

$8.08 MX$140

133.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.32 MX$22.78

53.03%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$21.1K MX$364.5K

65.94%

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

$39.6K €34.3K

$22.3K MX$386.5K

77.46%

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

$148 €128

$55.8 MX$965

165.25%

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

$20.52 €17.77

$21.92 MX$379

-6.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.23

$28.05 MX$485

40.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.72

$36.29 MX$628

32.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

$15.71 MX$272

17.06%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.88

$4.64 MX$80.3

96.12%

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

$615 €532

$209 MX$3,609

194.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$3,532 MX$61.1K

361.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$51.9 MX$898

95.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.45

$39.28 MX$680

7.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €79.9

$90.7 MX$1,569

1.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$78.1 MX$1,351

56.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,396

$509 MX$8,810

216.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,086

$404 MX$6,998

209.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,658

$952 MX$16.5K

222.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,764

$755 MX$13.1K

169.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,712

$1,754 MX$30.3K

341.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,712

$1,159 MX$20.1K

269.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,387

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

11.48

-66.81%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Last update for Sayulita: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $509 in Sayulita. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $39.00 in Sayulita for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $250 per month, with Sayulita 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 Sayulita: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Sayulita differ by about 109% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $1,090 including rent). Sayulita is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,420 in Lisbon and $1,635 in Sayulita to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $509 in Sayulita. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,280 per month in Lisbon versus $1,090 in Sayulita – a 109% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,090 in Sayulita versus $2,280 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sayulita but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Sayulita 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 Sayulita 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 Sayulita gentler on the wallet – expenses run 109% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.