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: $2,243 in Lisbon versus $1,109 in Zihuatanejo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,760 in Zihuatanejo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,387 in Lisbon versus $2,412 in Zihuatanejo.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 67% above, Zihuatanejo is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.73 €13.42

$10.72 MX$186

46.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 €53.9

$38.23 MX$663

65.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €8.80

$7.73 MX$134

33.51%

Cappuccino

$2.81 €2.40

$3.22 MX$55.8

-12.73%

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

$2.33 €1.99

$1.23 MX$21.30

89.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.95 MX$16.55

58.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 €2.87

$2.31 MX$40.11

45.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.34

$3.79 MX$65.7

3.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.92

$1.44 MX$25.03

-25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.49

$3.40 MX$59.0

-48.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.56 MX$26.95

12.18%

Eggs

$3.10 €2.64

$4.30 MX$74.5

-27.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.28 €11.33

$8.11 MX$141

63.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 €6.70

$7.67 MX$133

2.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.05 €13.69

$10.77 MX$187

49.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$2.69 MX$46.69

-11.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.47

$1.38 MX$23.92

24.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$1.72 MX$29.84

14.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.17

$1.66 MX$28.72

53.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.92 MX$33.19

-6.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$2.01 MX$34.89

-1.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 €1.67

$1.20 MX$20.81

63.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.71

$1.02 MX$17.62

-17.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.82

$4.30 MX$74.6

58.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.85 €4.99

$11.89 MX$206

-50.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.57 MX$27.12

-12.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 €2.49

$2.87 MX$49.66

1.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €1.95

$0.65 MX$11.20

252.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.88 €39.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 €3.51

$2.66 MX$46.05

54.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.69

$1.53 MX$26.60

-47.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.94 €16.16

$8.08 MX$140

134.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.78

$1.32 MX$22.84

58.33%

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

$35.1K €30.0K

$21.1K MX$365.6K

66.47%

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

$39.7K €33.9K

$22.2K MX$384.6K

78.98%

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

$150 €128

$56.2 MX$973

166.31%

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

$20.49 €17.48

$10.51 MX$182

94.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.15 €33.40

$28.40 MX$492

37.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.35

$35.91 MX$622

38.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.47 €15.76

$15.58 MX$270

18.55%

Cinema Ticket

$9.20 €7.84

$4.68 MX$81.1

96.58%

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

$624 €533

$203 MX$3,521

207.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K €13.6K

$3,542 MX$61.4K

349.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €87.2

$53.9 MX$934

89.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 €34.87

$40.13 MX$695

1.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 €81.6

$90.0 MX$1,560

6.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €103

$80.7 MX$1,398

50.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 €1,410

$513 MX$8,890

222.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 €1,051

$390 MX$6,764

215.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,043 €2,596

$917 MX$15.9K

231.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,059 €1,756

$771 MX$13.4K

166.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,879 €6,720

$2,232 MX$38.7K

252.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,303 €3,671

$1,294 MX$22.4K

232.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,566 €1,336

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: April 21, 2026

Last update for Zihuatanejo: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,653 in Lisbon and $513 in Zihuatanejo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63 in Lisbon vs $38 in Zihuatanejo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $270 vs $268 per month, with Zihuatanejo 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 Zihuatanejo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Zihuatanejo differ by about 102% in total monthly costs ($2,243 vs $1,109 including rent). Zihuatanejo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,365 in Lisbon and $1,663 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: $1,653 in Lisbon versus $513 in Zihuatanejo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,243 per month in Lisbon versus $1,109 in Zihuatanejo – a 102% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,109 in Zihuatanejo versus $2,243 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.