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: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $1,157 in Toluca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,877 in Toluca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $2,597 in Toluca.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 97% more expensive than in Toluca, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Toluca is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.64

$9.19 MX$159

71.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.0

$42.15 MX$729

50.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.05

$7.82 MX$135

33.63%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.52

$2.87 MX$49.66

1.39%

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

$2.29 €1.98

$1.16 MX$20.07

97.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.82 MX$14.25

82.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$2.09 MX$36.13

70.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.43

$3.38 MX$58.5

17.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.37 MX$23.73

-21.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$3.35 MX$57.9

-47.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$1.95 MX$33.65

-12.82%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.81

$2.53 MX$43.76

28.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.47

$5.86 MX$101

126.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.67

$10.10 MX$175

-23.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.66

$11.74 MX$203

34.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$4.06 MX$70.3

-43.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$1.72 MX$29.83

-3.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.91 MX$33.08

5.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$2.25 MX$39.00

9.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$2.48 MX$42.96

-27.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$2.39 MX$41.37

-13.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$1.87 MX$32.44

5.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$1.01 MX$17.51

-17.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.68

$5.03 MX$87.1

30.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.82

$12.96 MX$224

-57.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$1.96 MX$33.94

-32.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.60

$3.22 MX$55.7

-6.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$0.65 MX$11.26

249.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.66

$3.12 MX$54.0

35.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$2.19 MX$37.94

-61.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.31

$8.06 MX$140

133.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.25 MX$21.56

61.60%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$27.9K MX$482.5K

25.36%

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

$39.6K €34.3K

$28.7K MX$497.0K

38.00%

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

$148 €128

$47.26 MX$818

213.01%

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

$20.52 €17.77

$21.45 MX$371

-4.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.23

$35.26 MX$610

12.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.72

$51.5 MX$890

-6.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

$22.41 MX$388

-17.94%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.88

$7.07 MX$122

28.71%

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

$615 €532

$171 MX$2,954

260.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$5,137 MX$88.9K

217.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$55.2 MX$954

84.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.45

$61.2 MX$1,059

-31.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €79.9

$94.9 MX$1,642

-2.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$102 MX$1,756

20.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,396

$658 MX$11.4K

145.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,086

$378 MX$6,532

232.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,658

$941 MX$16.3K

226.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,764

$744 MX$12.9K

173.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,712

$1,359 MX$23.5K

470.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,712

$953 MX$16.5K

349.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,387

$1,311 MX$22.7K

22.21%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Toluca: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $658 in Toluca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 22% 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 $267 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 97% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $1,157 including rent). Toluca is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 22% 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: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $658 in Toluca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,280 per month in Lisbon versus $1,157 in Toluca – a 97% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,157 in Toluca versus $2,280 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 97% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.