Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Tulum Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Tulum

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $1,297 in Tulum.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $2,231 in Tulum.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $3,165 in Tulum.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 77% more expensive than in Tulum, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Tulum is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$8.78 MX$151

100.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$59.1 MX$1,018

6.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$8.60 MX$148

34.65%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$4.26 MX$73.4

-27.23%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$1.15 MX$19.75

116.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$1.22 MX$21.06

42.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$2.94 MX$50.6

18.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$3.83 MX$66.0

-10.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.72 MX$29.59

-33.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$2.10 MX$36.13

-9.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.89 MX$32.67

-20.63%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$1.99 MX$34.27

100.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$5.76 MX$99.3

130.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$8.13 MX$140

-1.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

$9.34 MX$161

93.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$2.69 MX$46.36

-12.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.55 MX$26.64

12.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$1.57 MX$27.00

17.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$1.58 MX$27.27

61.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$2.47 MX$42.55

-25.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$1.94 MX$33.46

8.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$1.59 MX$27.36

-6.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.87 MX$15.06

-5.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$4.68 MX$80.8

51.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$8.49 MX$146

-30.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$1.41 MX$24.23

-7.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.41 MX$24.34

51.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$1.48 MX$25.60

59.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$2.99 MX$51.5

36.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$2.57 MX$44.33

-55.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

$5.68 MX$98.0

200.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.48 MX$25.59

56.08%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$22.5K MX$387.6K

51.83%

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

$41.4K €36.1K

$25.9K MX$446.7K

59.69%

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

$169 €147

$112 MX$1,923

51.14%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$17.38 MX$300

11.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$36.73 MX$633

-8.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

$35.93 MX$620

35.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$6.83 MX$118

40.12%

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

$696 €607

$268 MX$4,613

160.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$3,142 MX$54.2K

452.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$44.00 MX$759

139.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$34.66 MX$598

37.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$101 MX$1,744

-0.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$61.6 MX$1,062

102.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

$651 MX$11.2K

155.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$566 MX$9,753

120.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

$1,609 MX$27.7K

84.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

$1,352 MX$23.3K

51.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

$3,409 MX$58.8K

129.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

$1,872 MX$32.3K

138.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

$852 MX$14.7K

91.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

10.8

-65.00%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Tulum: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $651 in Tulum. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 91% 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 $59.0 in Tulum for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $231 per month, with Tulum 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 Tulum: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Tulum differ by about 77% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $1,297 including rent). Tulum is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 91% 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $651 in Tulum. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,296 per month in Lisbon versus $1,297 in Tulum – a 77% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,297 in Tulum versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tulum but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Tulum 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 Tulum 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 Tulum 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.