Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Zihuatanejo Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Zihuatanejo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,093 in Zihuatanejo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,289 in Lisbon versus $1,766 in Zihuatanejo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,369 in Lisbon versus $2,439 in Zihuatanejo.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 102% more expensive than in Zihuatanejo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Zihuatanejo is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.71 €13.76

$10.49 MX$183

49.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €55.1

$39.79 MX$692

57.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.53 €9.23

$7.95 MX$138

32.45%

Cappuccino

$2.88 €2.53

$3.25 MX$56.5

-11.38%

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

$2.25 €1.97

$1.23 MX$21.39

82.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 €1.36

$0.92 MX$16.09

69.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 €2.97

$2.34 MX$40.66

44.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 €3.41

$3.83 MX$66.6

1.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.95

$1.50 MX$26.02

-28.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 €1.51

$3.46 MX$60.3

-50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.55 MX$26.99

13.55%

Eggs

$3.16 €2.77

$4.14 MX$72.0

-23.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.64

$8.27 MX$144

60.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.87 €6.89

$7.91 MX$138

-0.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.84 €13.88

$10.70 MX$186

48.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 €2.11

$2.66 MX$46.30

-9.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.49

$1.43 MX$24.93

18.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.72 MX$29.90

18.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.52 €2.21

$1.67 MX$29.02

50.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.63

$1.92 MX$33.47

-3.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 €1.81

$1.99 MX$34.54

3.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 €1.75

$1.21 MX$21.02

65.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 €0.68

$0.99 MX$17.20

-21.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.65 €5.82

$4.11 MX$71.5

61.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €5.06

$12.12 MX$211

-52.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.60 MX$27.87

-13.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.64

$2.75 MX$47.80

9.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.04

$0.61 MX$10.66

281.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.45 €39.82

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.57

$2.60 MX$45.30

56.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 €0.70

$1.61 MX$28.07

-50.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.65 €16.34

$8.28 MX$144

125.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.75

$1.31 MX$22.71

52.67%

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

$35.4K €31.0K

$21.4K MX$372.5K

65.31%

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

$39.1K €34.2K

$22.2K MX$386.8K

75.76%

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

$150 €132

$56.7 MX$986

164.86%

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

$20.55 €18.01

$10.51 MX$183

95.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.45 €34.56

$27.64 MX$481

42.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.06 €42.11

$36.23 MX$630

32.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.70 €16.38

$15.57 MX$271

20.10%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 €8.15

$4.69 MX$81.5

98.29%

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

$628 €550

$207 MX$3,599

203.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$3,567 MX$62.1K

361.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €89.0

$52.7 MX$917

92.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.55 €36.40

$40.25 MX$700

3.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.5 €81.0

$90.7 MX$1,579

1.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €107

$80.7 MX$1,404

52.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,426

$505 MX$8,783

222.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 €1,080

$395 MX$6,874

212.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,126 €2,739

$925 MX$16.1K

237.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,058 €1,803

$754 MX$13.1K

173.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,762 €6,801

$1,701 MX$29.6K

356.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,386 €3,843

$1,312 MX$22.8K

234.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,621 €1,420

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 21, 2026

Last update for Zihuatanejo: July 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $505 in Zihuatanejo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $40.00 in Zihuatanejo. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $270, 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 Zihuatanejo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Zihuatanejo differ by about 102% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,093 including rent). Zihuatanejo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,315 in Lisbon and $1,639 in Zihuatanejo to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $505 in Zihuatanejo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 0% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $1,093 in Zihuatanejo – a 102% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,093 in Zihuatanejo versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Zihuatanejo but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Zihuatanejo 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 Zihuatanejo 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 Zihuatanejo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 102% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.