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: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $1,046 in Tulum.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $1,936 in Tulum.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $2,827 in Tulum.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 113% more expensive than Tulum, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Tulum is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.84

$10.40 MX$182

55.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$51.2 MX$897

26.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$8.16 MX$143

27.21%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$3.70 MX$64.7

-25.14%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$1.21 MX$21.21

85.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$1.11 MX$19.37

41.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

$2.76 MX$48.32

26.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

$3.98 MX$69.6

0.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.43 MX$25.08

-24.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.18 MX$20.72

47.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.54 MX$27.02

12.99%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$1.99 MX$34.77

59.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$5.44 MX$95.2

146.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$7.00 MX$123

14.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

$6.52 MX$114

146.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$2.16 MX$37.85

5.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.42 MX$24.85

21.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$1.40 MX$24.48

38.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$1.36 MX$23.86

86.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$2.18 MX$38.07

-16.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.95 MX$34.14

4.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$1.08 MX$18.83

83.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$1.00 MX$17.43

-15.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$4.28 MX$74.8

60.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

$8.79 MX$154

-34.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.31 MX$22.95

4.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$1.30 MX$22.69

123.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$1.11 MX$19.47

105.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$2.06 MX$36.09

98.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$2.23 MX$39.06

-63.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$5.16 MX$90.2

254.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$1.30 MX$22.79

54.62%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$15.8K MX$276.4K

123.24%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$21.2K MX$371.3K

81.38%

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

$145 €124

$84.2 MX$1,474

72.60%

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

$20.96 €17.94

$22.28 MX$390

-5.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$29.45 MX$515

35.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

$33.29 MX$583

46.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

$15.80 MX$277

18.29%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$4.65 MX$81.5

94.84%

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

$607 €519

$204 MX$3,564

197.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$2,835 MX$49.6K

476.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$25.94 MX$454

303.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$31.52 MX$552

29.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$80.8 MX$1,414

15.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$45.62 MX$798

159.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

$699 MX$12.2K

129.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

$397 MX$6,945

211.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

$1,432 MX$25.1K

112.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

$1,256 MX$22.0K

63.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

$3,268 MX$57.2K

135.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

$1,855 MX$32.5K

130.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

$781 MX$13.7K

102.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

-65.36%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 26, 2026

Last update for Tulum: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $699 in Tulum. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 103% 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 $51.0 in Tulum for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $196 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 113% in total monthly costs ($2,227 vs $1,046 including rent). Tulum is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 103% 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: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $699 in Tulum. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,227 per month in Lisbon versus $1,046 in Tulum – a 113% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,046 in Tulum versus $2,227 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 113% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.