Cost of Living Comparison Between Matamoros and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Matamoros and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,145 in Matamoros versus $2,280 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,833 in Matamoros versus $3,294 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,521 in Matamoros versus $4,307 in Lisbon.

Living in Matamoros costs roughly 50% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Matamoros is 14% below, Lisbon is 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.68 MX$186

$15.75 €13.74

-32.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.04 MX$681

$63.5 €55.3

-38.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.70 MX$134

$10.45 €9.11

-26.32%

Cappuccino

$3.37 MX$58.8

$2.91 €2.54

15.81%

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

$1.30 MX$22.61

$2.29 €2.00

-43.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.85

$1.50 €1.31

-39.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 MX$40.44

$3.56 €3.11

-34.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 MX$69.5

$3.96 €3.46

0.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 MX$24.77

$1.08 €0.94

31.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.50 MX$43.58

$1.76 €1.54

42.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.39

$1.70 €1.48

-4.12%

Eggs

$2.37 MX$41.38

$3.25 €2.83

-27.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.92 MX$138

$13.25 €11.55

-40.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 MX$139

$7.70 €6.72

3.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.65 MX$186

$15.77 €13.75

-32.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.58 MX$44.95

$2.28 €1.99

13.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.48

$1.66 €1.44

-12.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 MX$30.02

$2.02 €1.76

-14.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 MX$27.87

$2.47 €2.16

-35.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.38

$1.79 €1.56

6.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.69

$2.07 €1.80

-3.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 MX$20.88

$1.97 €1.72

-39.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 MX$17.62

$0.83 €0.73

21.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$74.8

$6.55 €5.71

-34.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.50 MX$183

$5.57 €4.85

88.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$27.75

$1.33 €1.16

19.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 MX$47.61

$3.01 €2.62

-9.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 MX$11.39

$2.27 €1.98

-71.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.19 MX$561

$46.35 €40.41

-30.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 MX$46.03

$4.23 €3.69

-37.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 MX$27.90

$0.85 €0.74

88.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.35 MX$146

$18.83 €16.41

-55.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 MX$23.17

$2.02 €1.76

-34.16%

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

$21.1K MX$368.7K

$35.0K €30.5K

-39.53%

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

$22.3K MX$388.8K

$39.6K €34.6K

-43.77%

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

$56.7 MX$989

$148 €129

-61.68%

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

$22.32 MX$389

$20.52 €17.89

8.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.63 MX$482

$39.52 €34.46

-30.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.54 MX$620

$48.17 €42.00

-26.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.00 MX$279

$18.39 €16.03

-13.00%

Cinema Ticket

$4.65 MX$81.1

$9.10 €7.93

-48.90%

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

$209 MX$3,639

$615 €536

-66.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,121 MX$54.4K

$16.3K €14.2K

-80.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 MX$940

$102 €88.6

-46.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.42 MX$705

$42.09 €36.69

-3.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.7 MX$1,582

$92.3 €80.5

-1.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.3 MX$1,365

$122 €106

-35.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$501 MX$8,729

$1,612 €1,405

-68.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$401 MX$6,996

$1,254 €1,093

-68.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$936 MX$16.3K

$3,069 €2,676

-69.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$767 MX$13.4K

$2,037 €1,776

-62.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,906 MX$33.2K

$7,751 €6,757

-75.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,270 MX$22.2K

$4,286 €3,737

-70.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,396

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.48

3.81

201.31%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Matamoros: July 26, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $501 in Matamoros and $1,612 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $39.00 in Matamoros vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $248 vs $267 per month, with Matamoros 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

Matamoros vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Matamoros and Lisbon differ by about 99% in total monthly costs ($1,145 vs $2,280 including rent). Matamoros is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,717 in Matamoros and $3,420 in Lisbon 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: $501 in Matamoros versus $1,612 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $209 in Matamoros versus $615 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,145 in Matamoros versus $2,280 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Matamoros but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Matamoros 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, Matamoros and Lisbon 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 Matamoros gentler on the wallet – expenses run 99% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.