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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,249 in Tijuana.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,983 in Tijuana.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $2,716 in Tijuana.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 77% more expensive than Tijuana, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Tijuana is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$12.24 MX$212

29.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$31.89 MX$552

103.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$8.09 MX$140

29.91%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$3.78 MX$65.4

-24.07%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$1.16 MX$20.01

93.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.95 MX$16.48

57.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$2.90 MX$50.1

20.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$5.06 MX$87.6

-23.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.57 MX$27.08

-27.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$2.45 MX$42.41

-28.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.83 MX$31.61

-3.83%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$3.12 MX$54.0

3.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$7.70 MX$133

75.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$5.89 MX$102

34.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$10.24 MX$177

54.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.60 MX$44.92

-11.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.55 MX$26.73

9.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.83 MX$31.63

9.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.59 MX$27.43

54.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.68 MX$29.10

9.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.78 MX$30.82

12.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.06 MX$18.42

82.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.99 MX$17.06

-20.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$4.21 MX$72.8

57.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$8.57 MX$148

-33.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.92 MX$33.28

-28.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$3.24 MX$56.1

-8.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.96 MX$16.69

146.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$18.90 MX$327

141.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$2.75 MX$47.55

56.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$3.00 MX$51.9

-72.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$3.11 MX$53.7

488.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.31 MX$22.73

57.25%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$23.4K MX$405.0K

46.42%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$20.8K MX$360.0K

88.81%

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

$148 €127

$55.9 MX$967

164.57%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$27.47 MX$475

-25.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$31.44 MX$544

25.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$37.65 MX$651

27.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$20.08 MX$347

-5.78%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$4.60 MX$79.5

99.57%

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

$614 €528

$204 MX$3,528

200.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$2,729 MX$47.2K

488.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$43.70 MX$756

139.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$35.19 MX$609

19.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$87.9 MX$1,521

6.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$69.3 MX$1,198

72.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$788 MX$13.6K

106.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$503 MX$8,705

149.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$1,525 MX$26.4K

98.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$966 MX$16.7K

109.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$3,295 MX$57.0K

136.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$2,914 MX$50.4K

46.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$938 MX$16.2K

70.94%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Tijuana: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $788 in Tijuana. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 71% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $32.00 in Tijuana for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $239 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 77% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,249 including rent). Tijuana is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 71% more on average, 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $788 in Tijuana. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $204 in Tijuana. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,249 in Tijuana versus $2,210 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 77% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.