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: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $1,201 in Zihuatanejo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $1,963 in Zihuatanejo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $2,725 in Zihuatanejo.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 93% more expensive than in Zihuatanejo, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Zihuatanejo is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.89

$12.01 MX$203

44.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$44.46 MX$750

42.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.80

$8.38 MX$141

35.92%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.75

$4.13 MX$69.8

-22.76%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$1.63 MX$27.51

50.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$1.17 MX$19.79

50.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$2.82 MX$47.51

27.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$4.69 MX$79.2

-27.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.73 MX$29.18

-28.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$2.80 MX$47.18

-29.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.59 MX$26.77

-4.40%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.48

$2.52 MX$42.49

60.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.65

$7.55 MX$127

79.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.22

$7.69 MX$130

9.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.70

$11.38 MX$192

60.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$2.51 MX$42.35

-8.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.61 MX$27.17

8.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.91 MX$32.15

-2.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$1.96 MX$33.15

34.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.82 MX$30.66

5.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$1.80 MX$30.31

16.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.35 MX$22.77

6.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$1.26 MX$21.20

-33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$4.59 MX$77.4

47.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$11.92 MX$201

-52.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$2.00 MX$33.73

-31.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$3.01 MX$50.8

-26.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$0.72 MX$12.21

233.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.25

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$2.52 MX$42.50

65.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$2.08 MX$35.03

-45.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.21

$10.73 MX$181

64.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.44 MX$24.22

61.11%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$19.7K MX$332.8K

79.20%

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

$41.4K €35.7K

$27.5K MX$463.9K

50.78%

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

$170 €147

$61.9 MX$1,044

175.39%

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

$19.34 €16.64

$24.29 MX$410

-20.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.95

$32.42 MX$547

3.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.39

$33.58 MX$567

43.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.12

$23.82 MX$402

-16.46%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.54

$5.90 MX$99.6

68.14%

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

$717 €617

$235 MX$3,965

205.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$4,285 MX$72.3K

307.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$53.6 MX$904

95.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.40

$45.86 MX$774

2.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.0

$100 MX$1,690

3.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$105 MX$1,770

18.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,443

$627 MX$10.6K

167.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,094

$440 MX$7,429

188.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,568

$1,117 MX$18.8K

167.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,715

$769 MX$13.0K

158.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,734

$2,206 MX$37.2K

254.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,008

$1,158 MX$19.5K

302.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,362

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 Zihuatanejo: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $627 in Zihuatanejo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $44.00 in Zihuatanejo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $266 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 93% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $1,201 including rent). Zihuatanejo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,474 in Lisbon and $1,801 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: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $627 in Zihuatanejo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,316 per month in Lisbon versus $1,201 in Zihuatanejo – a 93% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,201 in Zihuatanejo versus $2,316 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 93% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.