Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Zacatecas Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Zacatecas

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $806 in Zacatecas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,275 in Zacatecas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $1,744 in Zacatecas.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 182% more expensive than in Zacatecas, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Zacatecas is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$6.90 MX$117

154.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$34.73 MX$589

85.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$7.83 MX$133

48.79%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$3.23 MX$54.8

0.93%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$1.38 MX$23.34

80.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.78 MX$13.28

114.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$2.12 MX$35.97

63.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$4.55 MX$77.2

-21.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.55 MX$26.27

-23.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$2.31 MX$39.19

-15.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.73 MX$29.34

-9.83%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$2.39 MX$40.62

67.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$7.91 MX$134

67.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$6.38 MX$108

31.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$10.37 MX$176

75.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.97 MX$33.35

17.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.77 MX$30.01

-2.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$2.21 MX$37.55

-12.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.54 MX$26.15

71.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$2.09 MX$35.46

-9.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.90 MX$32.22

11.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.54 MX$26.15

-6.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.92 MX$15.56

-13.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$4.76 MX$80.8

47.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$11.57 MX$196

-48.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.81 MX$30.69

-24.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$3.53 MX$60.0

-39.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.53 MX$9.03

349.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

$17.84 MX$303

159.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$2.42 MX$41.11

73.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$1.19 MX$20.22

-7.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$12.89 MX$219

33.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.59 MX$27.01

41.51%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$23.3K MX$395.6K

47.81%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$25.7K MX$435.4K

62.15%

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

$171 €147

$24.89 MX$422

586.54%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$9.09 MX$154

109.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$27.23 MX$462

25.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$26.38 MX$448

88.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$8.77 MX$149

122.46%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$4.56 MX$77.3

121.49%

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

$699 €603

$278 MX$4,720

151.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$3,489 MX$59.2K

409.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$48.51 MX$823

115.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$45.71 MX$775

4.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$97.1 MX$1,647

4.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$46.93 MX$796

173.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$261 MX$4,435

535.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$176 MX$2,979

599.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$414 MX$7,020

604.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$264 MX$4,486

665.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$617 MX$10.5K

650.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$452 MX$7,667

258.26%

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 5, 2026

Last update for Zacatecas: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $261 in Zacatecas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 258% 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: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $35.00 in Zacatecas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $245 per month, with Zacatecas 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 Zacatecas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Zacatecas differ by about 182% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $806 including rent). Zacatecas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 258% 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $261 in Zacatecas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $278 in Zacatecas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $806 in Zacatecas versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Zacatecas but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Zacatecas 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 Zacatecas 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 Zacatecas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 182% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.