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: $1,571 in Puerto Vallarta versus $2,291 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,412 in Puerto Vallarta versus $3,322 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Puerto Vallarta versus $4,354 in Lisbon.

Living in Puerto Vallarta costs roughly 31% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Puerto Vallarta 18% above, Lisbon 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.75 MX$188

$16.19 €14.15

-33.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.73 MX$837

$63.3 €55.3

-24.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.67 MX$170

$10.32 €9.02

-6.30%

Cappuccino

$3.47 MX$60.8

$2.83 €2.47

22.61%

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

$1.81 MX$31.72

$2.29 €2.00

-20.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 MX$22.15

$1.58 €1.38

-20.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.60 MX$45.51

$3.40 €2.97

-23.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 MX$76.1

$4.03 €3.52

7.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 MX$27.54

$1.09 €0.95

44.04%

White Bread (500g)

$3.47 MX$60.8

$1.75 €1.53

98.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 MX$40.79

$1.76 €1.54

32.39%

Eggs

$1.96 MX$34.39

$3.17 €2.77

-38.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.47 MX$201

$13.19 €11.53

-13.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.32 MX$181

$7.97 €6.96

29.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.00 MX$298

$15.53 €13.57

9.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.42 MX$42.44

$2.37 €2.07

2.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 MX$24.75

$1.71 €1.49

-17.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.65 MX$28.99

$2.01 €1.75

-17.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 MX$40.89

$2.43 €2.12

-4.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 MX$39.25

$1.76 €1.54

27.27%

Onion (1kg)

$3.03 MX$53.2

$2.03 €1.78

49.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$25.87

$1.92 €1.68

-22.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$20.21

$0.85 €0.74

35.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.13 MX$72.4

$6.58 €5.75

-37.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.23 MX$214

$5.58 €4.87

119.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$36.10

$1.33 €1.16

54.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 MX$56.8

$2.97 €2.60

9.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.95

$2.28 €1.99

-77.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.08 MX$282

$45.79 €40.01

-64.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.97 MX$52.0

$4.23 €3.69

-29.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.75 MX$48.22

$0.81 €0.71

239.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.32 MX$75.7

$18.44 €16.11

-76.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 MX$23.27

$2.08 €1.82

-36.06%

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

$15.0K MX$263.6K

$34.7K €30.3K

-56.62%

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

$22.0K MX$386.2K

$39.2K €34.2K

-43.72%

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

$94.2 MX$1,651

$148 €129

-36.38%

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

$23.56 MX$413

$20.46 €17.88

15.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.94 MX$542

$39.56 €34.56

-21.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.41 MX$638

$47.99 €41.93

-24.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.12 MX$230

$18.60 €16.25

-29.46%

Cinema Ticket

$8.15 MX$143

$9.22 €8.06

-11.61%

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

$362 MX$6,342

$616 €538

-41.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,410 MX$112.3K

$16.4K €14.4K

-61.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 MX$917

$103 €89.7

-49.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.71 MX$591

$41.74 €36.47

-19.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.3 MX$1,739

$94.8 €82.8

4.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.9 MX$1,646

$122 €107

-23.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 MX$17.4K

$1,633 €1,426

-39.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$684 MX$12.0K

$1,232 €1,077

-44.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,981 MX$34.7K

$3,098 €2,707

-36.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,278 MX$22.4K

$2,031 €1,775

-37.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,369 MX$94.1K

$7,831 €6,842

-31.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,565 MX$45.0K

$4,389 €3,835

-41.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$914 MX$16.0K

$1,607 €1,404

-43.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.5

3.81

201.84%

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

Last update for Puerto Vallarta: July 11, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $994 in Puerto Vallarta and $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 76% 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: $48.00 in Puerto Vallarta vs $63.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $317 vs $267, 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 46% in total monthly costs ($1,571 vs $2,291 including rent). Puerto Vallarta is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 76% 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: $994 in Puerto Vallarta versus $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $362 in Puerto Vallarta versus $616 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 19% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,571 in Puerto Vallarta versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $1,500 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 46% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.