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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $938 in Zacatecas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,518 in Zacatecas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $2,098 in Zacatecas.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 135% more expensive than Zacatecas, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Zacatecas is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$6.26 MX$109

154.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$31.34 MX$543

106.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$7.13 MX$124

47.41%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.98 MX$51.6

-3.69%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$1.22 MX$21.10

83.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.74 MX$12.80

102.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$1.89 MX$32.70

84.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$3.89 MX$67.4

-0.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.34 MX$23.26

-14.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$2.15 MX$37.29

-18.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.55 MX$26.78

13.55%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.19 MX$38.00

47.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.62

$7.15 MX$124

88.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$5.73 MX$99.2

38.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$8.91 MX$154

78.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.71 MX$29.61

35.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.52 MX$26.28

11.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.86 MX$32.18

8.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.39 MX$24.09

76.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.74 MX$30.24

5.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.95 MX$33.86

2.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.33 MX$22.97

45.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.83 MX$14.34

-4.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$4.20 MX$72.7

57.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$11.13 MX$193

-48.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.64 MX$28.37

-16.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$3.30 MX$57.1

-10.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.52 MX$9.07

355.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.23

$16.12 MX$279

182.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$2.06 MX$35.75

108.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.94 MX$16.37

-12.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$11.49 MX$199

59.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.29 MX$22.43

59.69%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$24.0K MX$416.5K

42.63%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$23.6K MX$409.8K

66.16%

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

$148 €127

$22.34 MX$387

561.91%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$7.74 MX$134

165.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.11

$24.97 MX$433

58.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.20

$23.61 MX$409

102.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$8.08 MX$140

134.16%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$4.11 MX$71.2

123.36%

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

$614 €529

$191 MX$3,311

221.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$3,154 MX$54.7K

408.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$43.97 MX$762

138.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.22

$42.04 MX$729

0.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$86.9 MX$1,506

8.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$42.14 MX$730

183.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,402

$240 MX$4,158

578.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$393 MX$6,809

219.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$364 MX$6,305

732.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,740

$770 MX$13.3K

162.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,716

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,679

$603 MX$10.4K

608.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,381

$910 MX$15.8K

76.29%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Zacatecas: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $240 in Zacatecas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 76% 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 $31.00 in Zacatecas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $220 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 135% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $938 including rent). Zacatecas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 76% 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $240 in Zacatecas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 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 22% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $938 in Zacatecas versus $2,210 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 135% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.