Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Zapopan Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Zapopan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $1,641 in Zapopan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $2,361 in Zapopan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $3,081 in Zapopan.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 41% more expensive than in Zapopan, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 69% above, Zapopan 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.89

$15.00 MX$253

15.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$49.60 MX$837

27.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.80

$9.76 MX$165

16.70%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.75

$4.16 MX$70.2

-23.32%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$1.74 MX$29.38

40.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$1.26 MX$21.26

39.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$2.57 MX$43.40

39.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$5.40 MX$91.2

-37.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.50 MX$25.27

-17.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$2.82 MX$47.56

-29.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.80 MX$30.43

-15.56%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.48

$2.62 MX$44.20

54.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.65

$9.95 MX$168

36.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.22

$11.24 MX$190

-25.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.70

$12.30 MX$208

48.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$3.07 MX$51.8

-25.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.58 MX$26.63

10.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$2.01 MX$33.87

-7.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$2.21 MX$37.25

19.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$2.23 MX$37.67

-13.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$3.03 MX$51.1

-31.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.65 MX$27.79

-12.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$1.26 MX$21.31

-33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$5.06 MX$85.4

33.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$11.26 MX$190

-49.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.97 MX$33.28

-29.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$3.22 MX$54.4

-31.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$0.59 MX$9.92

306.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.25

$29.18 MX$492

60.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$2.70 MX$45.57

54.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$2.73 MX$46.06

-58.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.21

$11.96 MX$202

47.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.52 MX$25.71

52.63%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$22.7K MX$383.1K

55.69%

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

$41.4K €35.7K

$25.6K MX$432.4K

61.78%

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

$170 €147

$133 MX$2,253

27.61%

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

$19.34 €16.64

$24.19 MX$408

-20.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.95

$34.46 MX$582

-2.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.39

$43.91 MX$741

9.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.12

$16.32 MX$276

21.94%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.54

$7.20 MX$121

37.78%

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

$717 €617

$269 MX$4,543

166.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$6,485 MX$109.5K

169.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$48.09 MX$812

117.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.40

$32.08 MX$541

46.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.0

$84.3 MX$1,423

22.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$91.5 MX$1,545

35.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,443

$952 MX$16.1K

76.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,094

$688 MX$11.6K

84.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,568

$1,713 MX$28.9K

74.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,715

$1,022 MX$17.2K

95.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,734

$6,126 MX$103.4K

27.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,008

$1,674 MX$28.2K

178.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,362

$986 MX$16.6K

60.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

11.3

-66.46%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Zapopan: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $952 in Zapopan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 60% 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 $50.0 in Zapopan. Groceries flip the comparison at $283 vs $301, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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 Zapopan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Zapopan differ by about 41% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $1,641 including rent). Zapopan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 60% 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: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $952 in Zapopan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $717 in Lisbon versus $269 in Zapopan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,641 in Zapopan versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Zapopan but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Zapopan 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 Zapopan 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 Zapopan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.