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: $723 in Merida versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,220 in Merida versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,717 in Merida versus $4,411 in Lisbon.

Living in Merida costs roughly 67% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Merida is 46% below, Lisbon is 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.17 VES 5,669

$15.91 €13.69

-36.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.85 VES 25.5K

$64.8 €55.7

-29.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.13 VES 5,646

$10.51 €9.04

-3.62%

Cappuccino

$1.56 VES 868

$2.87 €2.47

-45.64%

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

$1.14 VES 633

$2.24 €1.93

-49.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 VES 461

$1.50 €1.29

-44.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.17 VES 653

$3.49 €3.00

-66.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 VES 830

$3.88 €3.34

-61.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.13 VES 1,188

$1.14 €0.98

86.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 VES 1,405

$1.75 €1.51

44.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.60 VES 891

$1.76 €1.51

-9.09%

Eggs

$2.03 VES 1,132

$3.22 €2.77

-36.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.59 VES 3,113

$13.49 €11.61

-58.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.29 VES 3,506

$7.91 €6.81

-20.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.28 VES 4,058

$15.87 €13.65

-54.13%

Apples (1kg)

$4.94 VES 2,753

$2.31 €1.99

113.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 VES 595

$1.70 €1.46

-37.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 VES 922

$2.01 €1.73

-17.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.04 VES 579

$2.46 €2.12

-57.72%

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 VES 546

$1.84 €1.59

-46.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 VES 659

$2.00 €1.72

-41.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 VES 693

$1.93 €1.66

-35.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 VES 1,008

$0.79 €0.68

129.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.11 VES 2,288

$6.61 €5.68

-37.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.96 VES 6,107

$5.72 €4.92

91.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 VES 656

$1.37 €1.17

-13.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 VES 771

$2.97 €2.56

-53.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 VES 162

$2.37 €2.04

-87.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.05 VES 2,259

$4.29 €3.69

-5.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.47 VES 1,379

$0.82 €0.70

201.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.51 VES 285

$2.06 €1.78

-75.24%

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

$44.3K VES 24.7M

$34.3K €29.5K

29.10%

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

$37.2K VES 20.8M

$39.3K €33.8K

-5.21%

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

$13.38 VES 7,454

$148 €127

-90.95%

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

$9.94 VES 5,537

$20.52 €17.65

-51.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.89 VES 20.6K

$39.61 €34.08

-6.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.15 VES 14.0K

$47.85 €41.16

-47.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.07 VES 8,399

$18.92 €16.28

-20.35%

Cinema Ticket

$6.96 VES 3,876

$9.18 €7.90

-24.18%

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

$58.1 VES 32.4K

$614 €528

-90.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.5 VES 50.4K

$105 €90.0

-13.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.48 VES 22.0K

$42.06 €36.18

-6.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.0 VES 47.3K

$94.0 €80.8

-9.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.0 VES 36.2K

$120 €103

-45.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$118 VES 65.9K

$1,628 €1,400

-92.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$89.2 VES 49.7K

$1,255 €1,080

-92.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$208 VES 115.9K

$3,030 €2,607

-93.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 VES 106.9K

$2,020 €1,738

-90.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,155 VES 643.5K

$7,800 €6,709

-85.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,189 VES 662.7K

$4,273 €3,675

-72.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$286 VES 159.2K

$1,603 €1,379

-82.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

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

Last update for Merida: May 30, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $118 in Merida and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 461% 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: $46.00 in Merida vs $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $237 vs $269 per month, with Merida 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

Merida vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Merida and Lisbon differ by about 206% in total monthly costs ($723 vs $2,210 including rent). Merida is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Lisbon earns 461% less. 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: $118 in Merida versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $723 per month in Merida versus $2,210 in Lisbon – a 206% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $723 in Merida versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,000 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 206% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.