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: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $1,089 in Sayulita.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $1,754 in Sayulita.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $2,419 in Sayulita.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 104% more expensive than Sayulita, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Sayulita is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.84

$10.49 MX$184

54.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$38.42 MX$672

68.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$8.15 MX$143

27.36%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$3.32 MX$58.2

-16.57%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$1.30 MX$22.69

73.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.90 MX$15.70

74.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

$2.15 MX$37.67

62.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

$3.97 MX$69.5

0.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.48 MX$25.96

-27.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$2.58 MX$45.16

-32.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.62 MX$28.32

7.41%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$2.31 MX$40.43

37.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$8.19 MX$143

63.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$7.85 MX$137

1.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

$10.75 MX$188

49.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$2.63 MX$45.96

-13.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.43 MX$25.08

20.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$1.77 MX$31.01

9.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$1.69 MX$29.64

50.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.90 MX$33.30

-3.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.95 MX$34.14

4.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$1.22 MX$21.34

62.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.99 MX$17.31

-14.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$4.24 MX$74.2

61.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

$11.04 MX$193

-47.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.61 MX$28.18

-14.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$2.87 MX$50.3

1.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$0.61 MX$10.71

273.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$2.62 MX$45.81

55.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.54 MX$26.98

-46.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$8.06 MX$141

126.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$1.27 MX$22.21

58.27%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$20.9K MX$366.3K

68.50%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$22.8K MX$398.4K

69.06%

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

$145 €124

$56.3 MX$986

158.17%

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

$20.96 €17.94

$22.45 MX$393

-6.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$27.82 MX$487

43.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

$36.83 MX$645

32.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

$16.14 MX$282

15.80%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$4.52 MX$79.1

100.44%

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

$607 €519

$206 MX$3,599

194.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$3,584 MX$62.7K

355.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$52.8 MX$923

98.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$39.65 MX$694

3.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$91.5 MX$1,600

2.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$79.7 MX$1,395

48.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

$501 MX$8,760

220.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

$394 MX$6,889

213.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

$937 MX$16.4K

224.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

$761 MX$13.3K

170.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

$1,753 MX$30.7K

339.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

$1,161 MX$20.3K

267.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Sayulita: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $501 in Sayulita. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $38.00 in Sayulita for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $252 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 104% in total monthly costs ($2,227 vs $1,089 including rent). Sayulita is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,341 in Lisbon and $1,634 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: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $501 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 $2,227 per month in Lisbon versus $1,089 in Sayulita – a 104% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,089 in Sayulita versus $2,227 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 104% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.