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 $1,099 in Zihuatanejo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,774 in Zihuatanejo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $2,449 in Zihuatanejo.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 101% more expensive than 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

$15.91 €13.81

$10.60 MX$185

50.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €56.2

$39.40 MX$688

64.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.12

$7.72 MX$135

36.14%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.49

$3.26 MX$56.9

-11.96%

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

$2.24 €1.95

$1.25 MX$21.75

79.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.90 MX$15.80

66.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.03

$2.41 MX$42.08

44.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.37

$3.96 MX$69.1

-2.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.99

$1.43 MX$24.94

-20.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.52

$3.53 MX$61.7

-50.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.52

$1.54 MX$26.95

14.29%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.79

$4.14 MX$72.3

-22.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.71

$7.85 MX$137

71.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.87

$8.03 MX$140

-1.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.77

$10.53 MX$184

50.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €2.00

$2.62 MX$45.69

-11.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.48

$1.43 MX$24.99

18.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.74

$1.78 MX$31.13

12.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.13

$1.57 MX$27.47

56.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.60

$1.93 MX$33.76

-4.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.74

$1.94 MX$33.86

3.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.27 MX$22.12

51.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$1.02 MX$17.86

-22.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.73

$4.25 MX$74.3

55.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.97

$11.39 MX$199

-49.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.60 MX$27.98

-14.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.58

$2.72 MX$47.50

9.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.06

$0.65 MX$11.28

264.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.53

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.72

$2.63 MX$45.91

63.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.71

$1.60 MX$27.90

-48.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.88

$8.18 MX$143

123.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.79

$1.26 MX$21.98

63.49%

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

$34.3K €29.7K

$21.5K MX$375.9K

59.29%

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

$39.3K €34.1K

$22.5K MX$393.2K

74.52%

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

$148 €128

$56.8 MX$991

160.56%

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

$20.52 €17.80

$10.47 MX$183

95.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.37

$27.82 MX$486

42.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.51

$35.67 MX$623

34.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.42

$15.82 MX$276

19.60%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.97

$4.60 MX$80.3

99.57%

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

$614 €533

$210 MX$3,667

192.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.9K

$3,536 MX$61.8K

353.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.8

$52.9 MX$925

97.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.49

$39.31 MX$686

7.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €81.5

$89.8 MX$1,569

4.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €104

$80.0 MX$1,398

49.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,412

$518 MX$9,049

214.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,089

$404 MX$7,047

211.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,629

$926 MX$16.2K

227.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,753

$757 MX$13.2K

166.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,767

$1,920 MX$33.5K

306.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,707

$1,086 MX$19.0K

293.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,391

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 Zihuatanejo: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $518 in Zihuatanejo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $39.00 in Zihuatanejo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 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 101% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,099 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 $1,649 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 $518 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 $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $1,099 in Zihuatanejo – a 101% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,099 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 101% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.