Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Tijuana Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Tijuana

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,247 in Tijuana.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,953 in Tijuana.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $2,660 in Tijuana.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 84% more expensive than in Tijuana, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Tijuana is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$12.22 MX$214

32.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$32.13 MX$564

97.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$7.74 MX$136

33.33%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$3.95 MX$69.3

-28.35%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$1.11 MX$19.41

106.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.90 MX$15.80

75.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$2.83 MX$49.62

20.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$4.97 MX$87.2

-18.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.64 MX$28.70

-33.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$2.50 MX$43.85

-30.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.73 MX$30.30

1.73%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$3.11 MX$54.5

1.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$7.30 MX$128

80.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$5.83 MX$102

36.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$10.36 MX$182

49.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$2.66 MX$46.70

-10.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.56 MX$27.42

9.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.84 MX$32.35

9.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$1.58 MX$27.67

53.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.64 MX$28.72

7.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.79 MX$31.32

13.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.05 MX$18.44

82.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.98 MX$17.24

-13.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$4.22 MX$73.9

55.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$8.31 MX$146

-32.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.86 MX$32.59

-28.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$3.33 MX$58.3

-10.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.98 MX$17.18

132.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

$18.65 MX$327

145.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$2.79 MX$48.94

51.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$2.92 MX$51.2

-72.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$3.23 MX$56.7

470.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.31 MX$22.93

58.78%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$23.2K MX$406.2K

49.69%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$20.3K MX$355.8K

93.03%

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

$148 €130

$57.6 MX$1,011

156.90%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$27.63 MX$485

-25.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$30.74 MX$539

28.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$37.94 MX$665

26.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

$19.47 MX$342

-4.47%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$4.44 MX$77.9

107.66%

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

$616 €539

$209 MX$3,671

194.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$2,720 MX$47.7K

504.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$42.44 MX$744

141.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$34.48 MX$605

21.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$86.7 MX$1,521

9.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$68.3 MX$1,199

78.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$786 MX$13.8K

107.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$512 MX$8,978

140.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$1,560 MX$27.4K

98.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$987 MX$17.3K

105.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

$3,251 MX$57.0K

140.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

$2,900 MX$50.9K

51.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

$961 MX$16.9K

67.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

11.8

-67.71%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Tijuana: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $786 in Tijuana. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 67% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $32.00 in Tijuana for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $238 per month, with Tijuana 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 Tijuana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Tijuana differ by about 84% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,247 including rent). Tijuana is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 67% higher in Lisbon, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $786 in Tijuana. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $209 in Tijuana. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,247 in Tijuana versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tijuana but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Tijuana 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 Tijuana 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 Tijuana gentler on the wallet – expenses run 84% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.