Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Toluca

For one person, living is cheaper in Toluca: $1,114 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon, Portugal
Toluca, Mexico
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Toluca
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,114
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Toluca

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Toluca actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,114 in Toluca.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • Toluca $1,114

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $1,826 in Toluca.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • Toluca $1,826

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $2,539 in Toluca.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • Toluca $2,539

Living in Lisbon is roughly 98% more expensive than in Toluca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 62% above, Toluca is 18% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Toluca
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.85
$10.72 MX$201
55.32%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.1
$43.64 MX$818
41.48%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.13
$9.07 MX$170
25.25%
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.65
$3.12 MX$58.4
-4.81%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.04
$1.25 MX$23.41
83.20%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.55
$0.77 MX$14.49
125.97%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.04
$2.11 MX$39.59
61.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.95
$3.35 MX$62.7
-1.19%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Toluca
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.03
$1.75 MX$32.81
-33.71%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.71
$3.09 MX$58.0
-38.19%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.35
$2.24 MX$41.99
-32.59%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.59
$3.15 MX$59.0
27.62%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.54
$7.88 MX$148
64.21%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.94
$8.19 MX$153
-5.13%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.85
$8.82 MX$165
101.36%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.06
$4.09 MX$76.7
-43.77%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.55
$2.08 MX$39.03
-16.83%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.66
$2.30 MX$43.13
-19.13%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.31
$2.32 MX$43.44
11.64%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.62
$2.91 MX$54.6
-37.46%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$2.30 MX$43.09
-14.35%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.31
$1.69 MX$31.68
-13.02%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$1.00 MX$18.67
-28.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.87
$4.86 MX$91.2
35.39%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.00
$12.21 MX$229
-54.05%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$1.99 MX$37.21
-31.66%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.91
$3.65 MX$68.5
-41.37%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Toluca
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 €2.08
$0.79 MX$14.74
194.94%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.68 €39.86
$44.42 MX$832
0.59%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.85 €3.43
$3.25 MX$60.9
18.46%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.95
$1.95 MX$36.63
-45.13%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.69
$10.12 MX$190
62.65%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.96
$1.44 MX$26.98
52.78%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.5K
$24.5K MX$458.9K
39.61%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.5K
$22.8K MX$427.0K
69.95%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Toluca
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €144
$55.9 MX$1,048
188.25%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.43
$25.40 MX$476
-27.52%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.21
$31.81 MX$596
2.92%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Toluca
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €39.74
$39.99 MX$749
11.40%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.04
$22.69 MX$425
-15.82%
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.56
$6.98 MX$131
37.54%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Toluca
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €596
$219 MX$4,109
204.49%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.7K
$5,195 MX$97.4K
239.05%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Toluca
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.0
$64.9 MX$1,217
57.10%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.67
$53.3 MX$998
-16.51%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €87.9
$101 MX$1,892
-2.41%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €110
$105 MX$1,976
17.30%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Toluca
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 €1,435
$412 MX$7,726
290.12%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,062
$276 MX$5,173
331.08%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,812 €2,509
$1,005 MX$18.8K
179.88%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,013 €1,796
$589 MX$11.0K
242.02%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,839 €6,994
$1,288 MX$24.1K
508.67%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,576 €4,082
$898 MX$16.8K
409.53%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Toluca
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,405
$1,238 MX$23.2K
27.21%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
11.07
-65.22%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Toluca: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Toluca
$276 76.8% $914
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
Toluca
$289 5.9% $16
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
Toluca
$176 27.6% $67
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
Toluca
$113 46.7% $99
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Toluca
$146 12% $20
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Toluca
$54 15.4% $9.8
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Toluca
$61 4.1% $2.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $412 in Toluca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 27% 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: $62 in Lisbon vs $44 in Toluca. Groceries flip the comparison at $272 vs $289, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇲🇽 Toluca
🕒 Local time
13:43 1:43 PM
07:43 7:43 AM
6 h behind Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
223,876
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.74 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 20.91 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Toluca 8,730 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Toluca

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Toluca?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $1,114 in Toluca, so Toluca is about 50% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Lisbon or Toluca?
Average pay runs 27% higher in Lisbon, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Lisbon and in Toluca?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $412 in Toluca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city is more expensive overall: Lisbon or Toluca?
All in, you’ll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $1,114 in Toluca – Toluca is about 50% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $1,114 in Toluca versus $2,210 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.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Toluca?
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.
How do I decide between Lisbon and Toluca?
It comes down to priorities – Toluca wins on affordability, Lisbon on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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