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: $2,322 in Lisbon versus $1,251 in Tapachula.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,409 in Lisbon versus $1,992 in Tapachula.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,496 in Lisbon versus $2,733 in Tapachula.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 86% more expensive than in Tapachula, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Tapachula is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.10 €14.63

$11.09 MX$188

54.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.1 €54.8

$44.20 MX$749

45.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 €10.02

$7.89 MX$134

48.42%

Cappuccino

$3.14 €2.69

$4.01 MX$68.0

-21.70%

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

$2.51 €2.14

$1.64 MX$27.83

53.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 €1.42

$1.20 MX$20.36

38.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.51 €3.01

$2.70 MX$45.72

30.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 €2.88

$4.60 MX$78.0

-26.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €0.99

$1.68 MX$28.46

-30.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.02 €1.73

$2.83 MX$48.01

-28.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 €1.35

$1.81 MX$30.68

-12.71%

Eggs

$4.05 €3.46

$2.62 MX$44.32

54.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 €10.96

$8.79 MX$149

45.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.02 €6.86

$8.75 MX$148

-8.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.03 €14.57

$12.15 MX$206

40.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 €2.03

$3.19 MX$54.1

-25.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.60 MX$27.05

14.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.90 MX$32.16

4.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.67 €2.28

$1.95 MX$32.98

36.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.63

$2.20 MX$37.32

-13.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.99 MX$33.76

-1.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 €1.23

$1.38 MX$23.35

3.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.78

$1.21 MX$20.46

-24.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.84

$4.58 MX$77.6

48.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.73 €4.90

$12.02 MX$204

-52.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.14

$1.91 MX$32.34

-30.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.83

$3.40 MX$57.6

-37.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.05

$0.71 MX$12.09

238.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.94 €39.30

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.25 €3.63

$2.90 MX$49.18

46.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 €0.95

$2.12 MX$35.93

-47.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.99 €15.39

$11.69 MX$198

53.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.88

$1.55 MX$26.29

41.94%

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

$35.2K €30.1K

$24.2K MX$409.9K

45.52%

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

$40.0K €34.2K

$23.5K MX$397.7K

70.60%

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

$171 €146

$68.7 MX$1,165

148.95%

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

$19.61 €16.78

$25.69 MX$435

-23.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.19 €28.39

$32.33 MX$548

2.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.96 €41.02

$42.29 MX$717

13.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.88 €17.01

$19.60 MX$332

1.43%

Cinema Ticket

$10.12 €8.66

$5.12 MX$86.9

97.66%

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

$700 €599

$233 MX$3,950

200.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €14.8K

$4,579 MX$77.6K

279.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 €93.4

$61.0 MX$1,033

79.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.84 €40.92

$44.97 MX$762

6.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €90.9

$96.3 MX$1,632

10.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €108

$87.4 MX$1,480

44.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 €1,461

$599 MX$10.1K

185.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,265 €1,082

$469 MX$7,942

170.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,973 €2,543

$1,089 MX$18.5K

172.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,000 €1,711

$717 MX$12.2K

178.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,013 €6,855

$1,966 MX$33.3K

307.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,525 €3,871

$1,195 MX$20.3K

278.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,663 €1,422

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.73

11.3

-66.99%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 15, 2026

Last update for Tapachula: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,708 in Lisbon and $599 in Tapachula. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $44.00 in Tapachula. Groceries flip the comparison at $277 vs $283, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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 86% in total monthly costs ($2,322 vs $1,251 including rent). Tapachula is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,483 in Lisbon and $1,877 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: $1,708 in Lisbon versus $599 in Tapachula. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,322 per month in Lisbon versus $1,251 in Tapachula – a 86% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,251 in Tapachula versus $2,322 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 86% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.