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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $944 in Zacatecas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,493 in Zacatecas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $2,042 in Zacatecas.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 143% more expensive than in Zacatecas, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Zacatecas is 29% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$6.02 MX$105

168.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$31.09 MX$541

103.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$7.28 MX$127

41.76%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$2.96 MX$51.6

-4.39%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$1.22 MX$21.25

87.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.70 MX$12.21

125.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$1.81 MX$31.45

87.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$3.79 MX$65.9

6.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$1.39 MX$24.21

-21.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$2.14 MX$37.21

-18.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.57 MX$27.26

12.10%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.20 MX$38.31

44.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$7.26 MX$126

81.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$5.89 MX$103

35.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$9.10 MX$158

70.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.74 MX$30.35

36.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.49 MX$25.96

14.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.78 MX$30.97

12.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$1.43 MX$24.94

69.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.80 MX$31.41

-2.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.02 MX$35.16

0.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.37 MX$23.82

40.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.75 MX$13.11

13.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$4.17 MX$72.6

57.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$10.90 MX$190

-48.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.63 MX$28.32

-18.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$3.11 MX$54.1

-4.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.49 MX$8.48

365.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$16.10 MX$280

184.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$2.08 MX$36.19

103.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.94 MX$16.36

-13.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$11.50 MX$200

60.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.30 MX$22.70

60.00%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$24.2K MX$422.0K

43.04%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$23.9K MX$416.8K

63.59%

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

$148 €130

$22.53 MX$392

557.12%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$8.09 MX$141

152.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$25.10 MX$437

57.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$23.52 MX$410

104.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

$7.80 MX$136

138.46%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$4.15 MX$72.3

122.17%

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

$616 €540

$191 MX$3,324

222.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$3,190 MX$55.5K

415.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$43.23 MX$753

137.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$42.35 MX$737

-1.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$87.9 MX$1,531

7.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$42.12 MX$733

189.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$239 MX$4,162

582.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$403 MX$7,013

205.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$366 MX$6,372

746.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$768 MX$13.4K

164.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$590 MX$10.3K

643.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$435 MX$7,577

269.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

11.48

-66.81%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Zacatecas: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $239 in Zacatecas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 269% 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 $31.00 in Zacatecas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $221 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 143% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $944 including rent). Zacatecas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 269% 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $239 in Zacatecas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $191 in Zacatecas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $944 in Zacatecas versus $2,291 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 143% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.