Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Toluca Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Toluca

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $1,162 in Toluca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,869 in Toluca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $2,575 in Toluca.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 95% more expensive than Toluca, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Toluca is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.73

$9.20 MX$158

73.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.6

$41.76 MX$717

51.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.95

$7.82 MX$134

32.74%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.40

$2.81 MX$48.19

-0.71%

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

$2.34 €2.01

$1.12 MX$19.21

108.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.81 MX$13.85

93.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.95

$2.18 MX$37.47

57.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.37

$3.51 MX$60.3

11.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.37 MX$23.47

-21.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$3.39 MX$58.2

-47.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.91 MX$32.79

-10.47%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.71

$2.61 MX$44.85

20.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.79

$5.76 MX$98.9

137.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.90

$9.87 MX$169

-18.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.37

$11.82 MX$203

31.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$4.07 MX$69.9

-43.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$1.63 MX$28.05

0.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$1.94 MX$33.25

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.17

$2.24 MX$38.41

12.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$2.49 MX$42.73

-28.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.36 MX$40.55

-14.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.80 MX$30.83

9.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.02 MX$17.54

-17.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$4.96 MX$85.1

36.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.89

$13.32 MX$229

-57.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.98 MX$34.06

-29.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.60

$3.26 MX$56.0

-7.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.95

$0.62 MX$10.58

266.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.15

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.70

$3.20 MX$54.9

34.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$2.28 MX$39.21

-62.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.75

$8.15 MX$140

124.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.25 MX$21.43

59.20%

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

$35.0K €30.2K

$28.0K MX$480.5K

25.14%

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

$39.5K €34.1K

$27.7K MX$474.7K

42.98%

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

$146 €126

$47.02 MX$807

210.89%

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

$20.45 €17.62

$21.19 MX$364

-3.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.58

$34.94 MX$600

11.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.21

$50.9 MX$874

-3.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.22

$22.33 MX$383

-15.67%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.21

$7.05 MX$121

35.04%

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

$608 €524

$167 MX$2,874

263.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.2K

$5,169 MX$88.7K

219.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.5

$54.5 MX$935

90.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.29

$61.7 MX$1,059

-31.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.5

$94.1 MX$1,614

-1.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$105 MX$1,798

14.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,397

$644 MX$11.0K

151.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,092

$379 MX$6,510

234.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,626

$921 MX$15.8K

230.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,731

$759 MX$13.0K

164.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,602

$1,337 MX$23.0K

472.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,730

$956 MX$16.4K

352.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,366

$1,350 MX$23.2K

17.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

11.12

-65.74%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 8, 2026

Last update for Toluca: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $644 in Toluca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 17% 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 $42.00 in Toluca. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $292, 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 Toluca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Toluca differ by about 95% in total monthly costs ($2,263 vs $1,162 including rent). Toluca is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 17% 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: $1,621 in Lisbon versus $644 in Toluca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,263 per month in Lisbon versus $1,162 in Toluca – a 95% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,162 in Toluca versus $2,263 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Toluca but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Toluca 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 Toluca 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 Toluca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 95% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.