Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Tapachula Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Tapachula

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,243 in Lisbon versus $1,126 in Tapachula.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,748 in Tapachula.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,387 in Lisbon versus $2,371 in Tapachula.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 99% more expensive than Tapachula, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 67% above, Tapachula is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.73 €13.42

$10.56 MX$183

48.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 €53.9

$38.97 MX$675

62.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €8.80

$7.98 MX$138

29.32%

Cappuccino

$2.81 €2.40

$3.40 MX$58.9

-17.35%

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

$2.33 €1.99

$1.24 MX$21.44

87.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.98 MX$16.99

54.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 €2.87

$2.44 MX$42.26

38.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.34

$3.84 MX$66.5

1.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.92

$1.48 MX$25.69

-27.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.49

$2.55 MX$44.12

-31.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.57 MX$27.20

11.46%

Eggs

$3.10 €2.64

$2.40 MX$41.54

29.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.28 €11.33

$7.92 MX$137

67.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 €6.70

$7.81 MX$135

0.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.05 €13.69

$10.68 MX$185

50.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$2.72 MX$47.11

-12.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.47

$1.38 MX$23.97

24.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$1.73 MX$30.05

13.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.17

$1.60 MX$27.70

59.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.92 MX$33.24

-6.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$1.93 MX$33.41

2.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 €1.67

$1.26 MX$21.80

55.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.71

$0.97 MX$16.88

-13.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.82

$4.25 MX$73.7

60.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.85 €4.99

$10.15 MX$176

-42.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.56 MX$27.10

-11.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 €2.49

$2.83 MX$49.09

3.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €1.95

$0.65 MX$11.30

252.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.88 €39.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 €3.51

$2.52 MX$43.65

63.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.69

$1.53 MX$26.43

-47.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.94 €16.16

$8.49 MX$147

123.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.78

$1.26 MX$21.79

65.87%

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

$35.1K €30.0K

$21.3K MX$368.7K

65.06%

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

$39.7K €33.9K

$22.6K MX$391.1K

76.01%

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

$150 €128

$56.6 MX$981

164.19%

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

$20.49 €17.48

$22.51 MX$390

-8.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.15 €33.40

$28.01 MX$485

39.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.35

$36.34 MX$630

36.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.47 €15.76

$15.65 MX$271

18.02%

Cinema Ticket

$9.20 €7.84

$4.62 MX$80.0

99.13%

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

$624 €533

$210 MX$3,640

197.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K €13.6K

$3,543 MX$61.4K

348.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €87.2

$53.3 MX$924

91.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 €34.87

$39.90 MX$692

2.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 €81.6

$89.0 MX$1,543

7.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €103

$78.5 MX$1,360

54.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 €1,410

$517 MX$8,952

219.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 €1,051

$396 MX$6,857

211.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,043 €2,596

$917 MX$15.9K

231.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,059 €1,756

$759 MX$13.1K

171.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,879 €6,720

$2,018 MX$35.0K

290.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,303 €3,671

$1,216 MX$21.1K

253.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,566 €1,336

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 21, 2026

Last update for Tapachula: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,653 in Lisbon and $517 in Tapachula. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63 in Lisbon vs $39 in Tapachula for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $270 vs $248 per month, with Tapachula 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 Tapachula: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Tapachula differ by about 99% in total monthly costs ($2,243 vs $1,126 including rent). Tapachula is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,365 in Lisbon and $1,688 in Tapachula 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: $1,653 in Lisbon versus $517 in Tapachula. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,243 per month in Lisbon versus $1,126 in Tapachula – a 99% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,126 in Tapachula versus $2,243 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Tapachula but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Tapachula 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 Tapachula 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 Tapachula gentler on the wallet – expenses run 99% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.