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: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $1,389 in Tijuana.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $2,157 in Tijuana.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $2,924 in Tijuana.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 67% more expensive than in Tijuana, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 69% above, Tijuana 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.89

$12.70 MX$215

36.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$36.68 MX$620

72.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.80

$10.70 MX$181

6.45%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.75

$4.52 MX$76.4

-29.42%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$1.44 MX$24.28

70.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$1.24 MX$21.03

41.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$3.63 MX$61.4

-1.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$7.03 MX$119

-51.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.99 MX$33.58

-37.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$3.10 MX$52.4

-36.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.91 MX$32.28

-20.42%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.48

$3.49 MX$58.9

15.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.65

$8.59 MX$145

57.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.22

$7.87 MX$133

6.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.70

$12.58 MX$213

45.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$3.05 MX$51.5

-24.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.77 MX$29.83

-1.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$2.09 MX$35.24

-11.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$1.67 MX$28.21

57.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.62 MX$27.29

18.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$2.01 MX$33.90

3.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.61 MX$27.29

-10.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$1.09 MX$18.50

-22.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$4.60 MX$77.8

47.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$8.57 MX$145

-33.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$2.36 MX$39.96

-41.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$4.38 MX$74.0

-49.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$1.19 MX$20.14

101.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.25

$33.11 MX$560

41.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$3.11 MX$52.5

34.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$2.32 MX$39.28

-50.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.21

$20.62 MX$348

-14.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.58 MX$26.78

46.84%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$22.9K MX$386.8K

54.40%

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

$41.4K €35.7K

$25.7K MX$435.0K

60.99%

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

$170 €147

$51.4 MX$869

231.19%

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

$19.34 €16.64

$36.50 MX$617

-47.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.95

$32.47 MX$549

3.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.39

$42.53 MX$719

13.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.12

$8.67 MX$147

129.53%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.54

$7.02 MX$119

41.31%

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

$717 €617

$221 MX$3,730

224.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$5,034 MX$85.1K

247.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$57.0 MX$963

83.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.40

$48.55 MX$820

-3.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.0

$108 MX$1,833

-4.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$75.2 MX$1,271

64.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,443

$938 MX$15.9K

78.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,094

$512 MX$8,647

148.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,568

$1,641 MX$27.7K

81.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,715

$940 MX$15.9K

111.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,734

$3,312 MX$56.0K

136.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,008

$2,975 MX$50.3K

56.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,362

$1,015 MX$17.2K

55.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

12.07

-68.60%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Tijuana: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $938 in Tijuana. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 56% 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 $37.00 in Tijuana. Groceries flip the comparison at $283 vs $284, 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 Tijuana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Tijuana differ by about 67% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $1,389 including rent). Tijuana is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 56% 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: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $938 in Tijuana. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $717 in Lisbon versus $221 in Tijuana. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 0% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,389 in Tijuana versus $2,316 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 67% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.