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: $1,151 in Matamoros versus $2,227 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,822 in Matamoros versus $3,305 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,493 in Matamoros versus $4,384 in Lisbon.

Living in Matamoros costs roughly 48% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Matamoros is 14% below, Lisbon is 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.55 MX$185

$16.17 €13.84

-34.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.52 MX$692

$64.6 €55.3

-38.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 MX$136

$10.38 €8.88

-25.24%

Cappuccino

$3.35 MX$58.7

$2.77 €2.37

20.94%

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

$1.28 MX$22.39

$2.25 €1.92

-43.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$16.16

$1.57 €1.35

-41.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 MX$41.35

$3.49 €2.99

-32.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 MX$66.8

$4.00 €3.43

-4.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 MX$26.13

$1.08 €0.93

37.96%

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 MX$45.56

$1.74 €1.49

49.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.60 MX$28.05

$1.74 €1.49

-8.05%

Eggs

$2.32 MX$40.63

$3.18 €2.72

-27.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.06 MX$141

$13.43 €11.50

-39.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 MX$137

$7.99 €6.84

-1.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.48 MX$183

$16.09 €13.77

-34.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.95

$2.28 €1.95

15.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 MX$24.66

$1.72 €1.48

-18.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 MX$31.53

$1.94 €1.66

-7.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 MX$29.10

$2.54 €2.18

-34.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 MX$33.81

$1.83 €1.57

5.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 MX$34.05

$2.04 €1.75

-4.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 MX$21.90

$1.98 €1.69

-36.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 MX$17.75

$0.85 €0.73

18.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$71.5

$6.85 €5.87

-40.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.17 MX$213

$5.78 €4.94

110.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 MX$28.11

$1.37 €1.18

17.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 MX$47.96

$2.90 €2.48

-5.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 MX$10.68

$2.28 €1.95

-73.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.05 MX$561

$46.84 €40.10

-31.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 MX$44.61

$4.08 €3.49

-37.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 MX$28.21

$0.82 €0.70

96.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.48 MX$148

$18.27 €15.64

-53.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$22.13

$2.01 €1.72

-37.31%

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

$21.1K MX$369.3K

$35.3K €30.2K

-40.16%

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

$22.3K MX$390.1K

$38.5K €32.9K

-42.08%

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

$57.5 MX$1,006

$145 €124

-60.46%

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

$21.86 MX$383

$20.96 €17.94

4.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.82 MX$487

$40.05 €34.29

-30.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.63 MX$623

$48.79 €41.76

-26.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.58 MX$273

$18.69 €16.00

-16.64%

Cinema Ticket

$4.76 MX$83.3

$9.06 €7.76

-47.46%

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

$209 MX$3,650

$607 €519

-65.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,104 MX$54.3K

$16.3K €14.0K

-80.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 MX$936

$105 €89.6

-48.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.42 MX$707

$40.95 €35.06

-1.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.2 MX$1,596

$93.6 €80.1

-2.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.4 MX$1,389

$119 €101

-33.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 MX$8,743

$1,604 €1,373

-68.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$400 MX$7,006

$1,236 €1,058

-67.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$929 MX$16.3K

$3,046 €2,607

-69.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$772 MX$13.5K

$2,057 €1,761

-62.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,755 MX$30.7K

$7,709 €6,599

-77.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,283 MX$22.4K

$4,266 €3,652

-69.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Matamoros and $1,604 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $40.00 in Matamoros vs $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $253 vs $271 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 93% in total monthly costs ($1,151 vs $2,227 including rent). Matamoros is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,727 in Matamoros and $3,341 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: $500 in Matamoros versus $1,604 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $209 in Matamoros versus $607 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 $1,151 in Matamoros versus $2,227 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 93% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.