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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,238 in Zapopan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,822 in Zapopan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $2,406 in Zapopan.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 85% more expensive than in Zapopan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Zapopan is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$10.63 MX$185

52.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$39.03 MX$680

62.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$9.61 MX$167

7.39%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$3.26 MX$56.8

-13.19%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$1.39 MX$24.16

64.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$1.25 MX$21.83

26.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$2.17 MX$37.87

56.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$3.90 MX$68.0

3.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$1.43 MX$24.92

-23.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$2.60 MX$45.33

-32.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.61 MX$28.10

9.32%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.29 MX$39.82

38.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$9.67 MX$168

36.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$9.17 MX$160

-13.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$10.23 MX$178

51.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$2.72 MX$47.30

-12.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.38 MX$24.02

23.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.64 MX$28.59

22.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$2.24 MX$38.95

8.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.17 MX$37.85

-18.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.67 MX$46.56

-23.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.55 MX$27.01

23.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.11 MX$19.41

-23.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$4.55 MX$79.2

44.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$11.03 MX$192

-49.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$2.04 MX$35.57

-34.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$3.28 MX$57.1

-9.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.51 MX$8.90

347.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$26.17 MX$456

74.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$2.60 MX$45.26

62.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$2.35 MX$40.89

-65.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$10.64 MX$185

73.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.31 MX$22.88

58.78%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$21.0K MX$366.1K

64.90%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$23.0K MX$401.0K

70.02%

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

$148 €130

$94.8 MX$1,651

56.15%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$24.18 MX$421

-15.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$31.36 MX$546

26.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$43.14 MX$751

11.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

$14.62 MX$255

27.22%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$5.36 MX$93.4

72.01%

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

$616 €540

$190 MX$3,305

224.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$6,439 MX$112.1K

155.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$49.86 MX$868

105.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$28.71 MX$500

45.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$98.1 MX$1,709

-3.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$90.5 MX$1,577

34.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$665 MX$11.6K

145.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$399 MX$6,949

208.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$1,068 MX$18.6K

190.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$610 MX$10.6K

233.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$5,974 MX$104.0K

31.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$1,587 MX$27.6K

176.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$946 MX$16.5K

69.86%

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 Zapopan: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $665 in Zapopan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 70% 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 $39.00 in Zapopan. Groceries flip the comparison at $267 vs $271, 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 85% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,238 including rent). Zapopan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 70% 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 $665 in Zapopan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $190 in Zapopan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,238 in Zapopan versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $1,000 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 85% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.