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: $2,203 in Lisbon versus $1,138 in Tapachula.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,237 in Lisbon versus $1,837 in Tapachula.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,272 in Lisbon versus $2,536 in Tapachula.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 94% more expensive than in Tapachula, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Tapachula is 15% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.01 €15.16

$10.62 MX$192

60.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.7 €55.9

$45.91 MX$830

36.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.42 €10.17

$8.91 MX$161

28.17%

Cappuccino

$3.09 €2.75

$3.97 MX$71.8

-22.17%

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

$2.37 €2.11

$1.52 MX$27.48

55.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 €1.48

$1.08 MX$19.52

53.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.46 €3.08

$2.73 MX$49.34

26.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 €2.93

$3.72 MX$67.3

-11.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.65 MX$29.84

-29.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.87 €1.66

$2.57 MX$46.53

-27.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.35

$1.66 MX$30.00

-8.43%

Eggs

$3.88 €3.46

$2.53 MX$45.75

53.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.87 €11.47

$8.34 MX$151

54.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.94 €7.07

$8.35 MX$151

-4.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.63 €15.71

$11.75 MX$212

50.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

$2.46 MX$44.49

-8.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 €1.57

$1.52 MX$27.39

15.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.88 €1.68

$1.72 MX$31.15

9.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.20

$1.83 MX$33.03

34.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.66

$2.05 MX$37.09

-9.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.85

$1.95 MX$35.27

6.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 €1.24

$1.47 MX$26.59

-5.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.72

$1.14 MX$20.60

-28.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.89 €6.14

$4.33 MX$78.3

59.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.53 €4.93

$10.01 MX$181

-44.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.19

$1.78 MX$32.11

-25.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 €1.93

$3.13 MX$56.6

-30.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.24 €2.00

$0.72 MX$13.10

211.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.14 €40.24

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.00 €3.56

$2.80 MX$50.6

42.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.95

$1.79 MX$32.29

-40.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.53 €14.73

$11.24 MX$203

47.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.26 €2.02

$1.42 MX$25.63

59.15%

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

$33.5K €29.9K

$18.8K MX$340.5K

77.89%

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

$40.5K €36.1K

$24.6K MX$444.1K

64.76%

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

$164 €146

$65.2 MX$1,178

150.98%

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

$18.54 €16.53

$25.73 MX$465

-27.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.21 €29.60

$33.38 MX$603

-0.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.01 €41.01

$31.87 MX$576

44.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.80 €16.76

$20.47 MX$370

-8.16%

Cinema Ticket

$9.47 €8.44

$4.53 MX$81.9

109.05%

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

$690 €615

$203 MX$3,667

239.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K €15.0K

$4,611 MX$83.3K

265.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €93.3

$59.4 MX$1,073

76.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.27 €40.35

$37.15 MX$671

21.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.0 €88.2

$93.0 MX$1,681

6.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €110

$92.1 MX$1,665

34.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,583 €1,411

$693 MX$12.5K

128.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 €1,078

$355 MX$6,414

240.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,833 €2,525

$1,186 MX$21.4K

138.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,964 €1,751

$783 MX$14.2K

150.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,643 €6,812

$1,841 MX$33.3K

315.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,431 €3,949

$1,105 MX$20.0K

300.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,573 €1,402

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

11.3

-66.46%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 4, 2026

Last update for Tapachula: October 3, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,583 in Lisbon and $693 in Tapachula. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $46.00 in Tapachula for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $263 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 94% in total monthly costs ($2,203 vs $1,138 including rent). Tapachula is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,304 in Lisbon and $1,707 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: $1,583 in Lisbon versus $693 in Tapachula. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,203 per month in Lisbon versus $1,138 in Tapachula – a 94% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,138 in Tapachula versus $2,203 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 94% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.