Cost of Living Comparison Between Merida and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Merida and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,440 in Merida versus $2,316 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,314 in Merida versus $3,361 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,189 in Merida versus $4,405 in Lisbon.

Living in Merida costs roughly 38% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Merida 5% above, Lisbon 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.58 MX$248

$17.30 €14.93

-15.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.4 MX$992

$63.3 €54.6

-7.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.72 MX$148

$11.39 €9.83

-23.44%

Cappuccino

$4.21 MX$71.5

$3.19 €2.75

31.97%

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

$1.22 MX$20.66

$2.45 €2.11

-50.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$19.97

$1.76 €1.52

-32.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.4

$3.59 €3.10

-15.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 MX$67.6

$3.39 €2.93

17.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 MX$29.56

$1.24 €1.07

40.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.95 MX$50.2

$1.98 €1.71

48.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$31.87

$1.52 €1.31

23.68%

Eggs

$2.02 MX$34.27

$4.04 €3.49

-50.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$186

$13.54 €11.68

-18.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.08 MX$137

$8.39 €7.24

-3.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.54 MX$230

$18.25 €15.75

-25.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.06 MX$51.9

$2.29 €1.98

33.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 MX$26.24

$1.74 €1.50

-11.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 MX$39.08

$1.86 €1.60

23.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 MX$37.53

$2.63 €2.27

-15.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.48 MX$42.20

$1.92 €1.65

29.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 MX$32.43

$2.09 €1.81

-8.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 MX$27.00

$1.44 €1.24

10.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 MX$20.76

$0.84 €0.73

45.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.90 MX$83.2

$6.78 €5.85

-27.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.78 MX$200

$5.71 €4.93

106.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 MX$26.54

$1.38 €1.19

13.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 MX$46.29

$2.22 €1.91

22.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 MX$11.60

$2.40 €2.07

-71.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.26 MX$361

$46.78 €40.37

-54.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.97 MX$50.4

$4.17 €3.60

-28.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.04 MX$68.7

$1.14 €0.98

254.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.45 MX$161

$17.68 €15.26

-46.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 MX$27.24

$2.32 €2.01

-31.03%

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

$22.8K MX$387.4K

$35.3K €30.5K

-35.44%

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

$25.6K MX$434.7K

$41.4K €35.8K

-38.25%

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

$119 MX$2,017

$170 €147

-30.28%

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

$22.87 MX$388

$19.34 €16.69

18.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.46 MX$636

$33.64 €29.03

11.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.09 MX$528

$48.10 €41.50

-35.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.82 MX$218

$19.90 €17.17

-35.58%

Cinema Ticket

$8.12 MX$138

$9.92 €8.56

-18.15%

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

$276 MX$4,691

$717 €619

-61.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,856 MX$65.5K

$17.5K €15.1K

-77.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.2 MX$988

$105 €90.4

-44.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$968

$46.95 €40.51

21.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 MX$1,825

$103 €89.2

3.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,510

$124 €107

-28.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$685 MX$11.6K

$1,677 €1,447

-59.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$486 MX$8,261

$1,271 €1,097

-61.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,343 MX$22.8K

$2,985 €2,575

-55.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,037 MX$17.6K

$1,992 €1,719

-47.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,422 MX$41.1K

$7,826 €6,753

-69.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,342 MX$22.8K

$4,658 €4,019

-71.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$627 MX$10.6K

$1,583 €1,366

-60.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.64

3.79

207.12%

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

Last update for Merida: August 30, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $685 in Merida and $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 153% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $58.0 in Merida vs $63.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $290 vs $283, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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

Merida vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Merida and Lisbon differ by about 61% in total monthly costs ($1,440 vs $2,316 including rent). Merida is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 153% lower in Lisbon. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $685 in Merida versus $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $276 in Merida versus $717 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,440 in Merida versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Merida but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Merida 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, Merida 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 Merida gentler on the wallet – expenses run 61% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.