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: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $1,049 in Tulum.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,892 in Tulum.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $2,735 in Tulum.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 117% more expensive than in Tulum, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Tulum is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.64

$10.51 MX$182

49.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.0

$50.7 MX$878

25.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.05

$7.89 MX$137

32.45%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.52

$3.78 MX$65.3

-23.02%

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

$2.29 €1.98

$1.17 MX$20.23

95.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$1.12 MX$19.42

33.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$2.73 MX$47.19

30.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.43

$4.01 MX$69.3

-1.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.43 MX$24.66

-24.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.14 MX$19.77

54.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$1.49 MX$25.70

14.09%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.81

$1.98 MX$34.26

64.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.47

$5.24 MX$90.7

152.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.67

$6.85 MX$118

12.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.66

$6.31 MX$109

149.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$2.16 MX$37.36

5.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$1.35 MX$23.33

22.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.42 MX$24.55

42.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$1.36 MX$23.57

81.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$2.15 MX$37.24

-16.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$1.88 MX$32.61

10.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$1.05 MX$18.09

87.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$0.90 MX$15.65

-7.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.68

$4.29 MX$74.3

52.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.82

$8.57 MX$148

-35.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$1.32 MX$22.84

0.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.60

$1.24 MX$21.52

142.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$1.11 MX$19.23

104.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.66

$2.18 MX$37.66

94.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$2.14 MX$37.07

-60.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.31

$5.15 MX$89.0

265.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.30 MX$22.50

55.38%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$15.8K MX$274.0K

120.78%

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

$39.6K €34.3K

$21.5K MX$371.5K

84.63%

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

$148 €128

$83.4 MX$1,444

77.29%

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

$20.52 €17.77

$22.36 MX$387

-8.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.23

$28.98 MX$501

36.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.72

$32.85 MX$568

46.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

$16.04 MX$277

14.65%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.88

$4.74 MX$82.0

91.98%

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

$615 €532

$203 MX$3,511

202.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$2,834 MX$49.0K

474.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$26.17 MX$453

288.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.45

$31.34 MX$542

34.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €79.9

$78.7 MX$1,361

17.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$44.67 MX$773

173.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,396

$706 MX$12.2K

128.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,086

$398 MX$6,894

214.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,658

$1,455 MX$25.2K

110.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,764

$1,228 MX$21.3K

65.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,712

$3,268 MX$56.5K

137.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,712

$1,830 MX$31.7K

134.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,387

$805 MX$13.9K

98.87%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Tulum: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $706 in Tulum. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 99% 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 $51.0 in Tulum for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $191 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 117% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $1,049 including rent). Tulum is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 99% 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 $706 in Tulum. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,280 per month in Lisbon versus $1,049 in Tulum – a 117% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,049 in Tulum versus $2,280 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 117% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.