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: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $1,086 in Sayulita.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $1,756 in Sayulita.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $2,425 in Sayulita.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 111% more expensive than in Sayulita, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Sayulita is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.32

$10.53 MX$181

67.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$38.24 MX$659

64.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.09

$7.81 MX$135

48.27%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$3.22 MX$55.4

-3.73%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$1.24 MX$21.41

100.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.90 MX$15.59

93.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$2.23 MX$38.33

56.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$3.89 MX$67.0

-11.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.48 MX$25.43

-22.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$2.63 MX$45.22

-27.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.55 MX$26.68

-3.23%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$2.31 MX$39.74

72.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.58

$8.24 MX$142

61.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$8.10 MX$139

-1.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.71

$10.42 MX$179

73.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$2.62 MX$45.18

-10.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.52

$1.44 MX$24.73

21.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$1.71 MX$29.46

8.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$1.65 MX$28.44

54.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$1.83 MX$31.47

0.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$2.00 MX$34.40

5.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.29

$1.26 MX$21.66

18.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.98 MX$16.87

-16.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.18

$4.11 MX$70.8

72.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.14

$10.88 MX$187

-45.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$1.57 MX$26.96

-16.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.76 MX$47.51

-22.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$0.64 MX$11.09

268.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.60

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$2.63 MX$45.34

55.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$1.55 MX$26.70

-26.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.89

$8.06 MX$139

112.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.30 MX$22.43

77.69%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$21.4K MX$369.3K

59.18%

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

$41.4K €36.0K

$22.1K MX$380.5K

87.31%

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

$169 €147

$57.1 MX$983

195.44%

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

$19.33 €16.84

$21.81 MX$376

-11.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.19

$27.64 MX$476

21.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.54

$36.27 MX$625

34.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.93

$15.84 MX$273

22.66%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.33

$4.56 MX$78.6

109.87%

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

$696 €606

$208 MX$3,584

234.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$3,612 MX$62.2K

380.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.7

$53.1 MX$915

98.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.59

$40.14 MX$691

18.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$88.9 MX$1,531

13.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$78.0 MX$1,344

59.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,447

$514 MX$8,856

223.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,085

$389 MX$6,700

220.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,582

$922 MX$15.9K

221.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,784

$764 MX$13.2K

168.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,823

$1,741 MX$30.0K

349.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,888

$1,167 MX$20.1K

282.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,421

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

11.48

-67.07%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Sayulita: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $514 in Sayulita. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $38.00 in Sayulita for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $251 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 111% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $1,086 including rent). Sayulita is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,444 in Lisbon and $1,630 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $514 in Sayulita. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,296 per month in Lisbon versus $1,086 in Sayulita – a 111% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,086 in Sayulita versus $2,296 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 111% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.