Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto Vallarta and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto Vallarta and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,762 in Puerto Vallarta versus $2,316 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,727 in Puerto Vallarta versus $3,361 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,691 in Puerto Vallarta versus $4,405 in Lisbon.

Living in Puerto Vallarta costs roughly 24% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Puerto Vallarta 28% above, Lisbon 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.50 MX$246

$17.30 €14.92

-16.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.5 MX$1,045

$63.3 €54.6

-2.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.54 MX$196

$11.39 €9.83

1.32%

Cappuccino

$4.42 MX$75.2

$3.19 €2.75

38.56%

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

$2.04 MX$34.69

$2.45 €2.11

-16.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 MX$25.70

$1.76 €1.52

-14.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 MX$55.8

$3.59 €3.10

-8.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 MX$79.4

$3.39 €2.93

37.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 MX$33.78

$1.24 €1.07

60.48%

White Bread (500g)

$3.68 MX$62.5

$1.98 €1.71

85.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 MX$38.23

$1.52 €1.31

48.03%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$42.68

$4.04 €3.49

-37.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.16 MX$173

$13.54 €11.68

-24.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.55 MX$213

$8.39 €7.23

49.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.61 MX$316

$18.25 €15.74

1.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 MX$49.75

$2.29 €1.97

27.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.67

$1.74 €1.50

-9.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.04

$1.86 €1.60

7.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.38

$2.63 €2.27

-16.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$39.27

$1.92 €1.65

20.31%

Onion (1kg)

$3.45 MX$58.6

$2.09 €1.81

65.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.63 MX$27.73

$1.44 €1.24

13.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.65

$0.84 €0.73

58.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.59 MX$78.0

$6.78 €5.85

-32.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.59 MX$214

$5.71 €4.93

120.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 MX$34.10

$1.38 €1.19

45.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 MX$54.6

$2.22 €1.91

44.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.64 MX$10.80

$2.40 €2.07

-73.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.04 MX$392

$46.78 €40.35

-50.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.70 MX$79.8

$4.17 €3.60

12.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.96 MX$50.2

$1.14 €0.98

159.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 MX$77.8

$17.68 €15.25

-74.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.32

$2.32 €2.00

-33.19%

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

$22.8K MX$388.0K

$35.3K €30.5K

-35.39%

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

$25.6K MX$435.2K

$41.4K €35.7K

-38.21%

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

$139 MX$2,367

$170 €147

-18.23%

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

$33.76 MX$574

$19.34 €16.68

74.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.02 MX$612

$33.64 €29.01

7.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.83 MX$711

$48.10 €41.48

-13.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.50 MX$280

$19.90 €17.16

-17.09%

Cinema Ticket

$9.93 MX$169

$9.92 €8.56

0.10%

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

$375 MX$6,370

$717 €619

-47.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,325 MX$107.5K

$17.5K €15.1K

-63.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 MX$986

$105 €90.4

-44.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.66 MX$640

$46.95 €40.49

-19.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 MX$1,868

$103 €89.2

6.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 MX$1,718

$124 €107

-18.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,487 MX$25.3K

$1,677 €1,446

-11.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$749 MX$12.7K

$1,271 €1,096

-41.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,110 MX$35.8K

$2,985 €2,574

-29.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,258 MX$21.4K

$1,992 €1,718

-36.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,419 MX$92.1K

$7,826 €6,750

-30.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,605 MX$44.3K

$4,658 €4,017

-44.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$939 MX$16.0K

$1,583 €1,365

-40.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.7

3.79

208.71%

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

Last update for Puerto Vallarta: August 30, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,487 in Puerto Vallarta and $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 69% 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: $61.0 in Puerto Vallarta vs $63.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $346 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

Puerto Vallarta vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Puerto Vallarta and Lisbon differ by about 31% in total monthly costs ($1,762 vs $2,316 including rent). Puerto Vallarta is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 69% 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: $1,487 in Puerto Vallarta versus $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $375 in Puerto Vallarta 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 22% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,762 in Puerto Vallarta versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Puerto Vallarta but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Puerto Vallarta 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, Puerto Vallarta 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 Puerto Vallarta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.