Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto Vallarta and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Puerto Vallarta: $1,602 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Puerto Vallarta
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,602
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,223
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Puerto Vallarta and in Lisbon

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Puerto Vallarta and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,602 in Puerto Vallarta versus $2,223 in Lisbon.

  • Puerto Vallarta $1,602
  • Lisbon $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,430 in Puerto Vallarta versus $3,271 in Lisbon.

  • Puerto Vallarta $2,430
  • Lisbon $3,271

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,259 in Puerto Vallarta versus $4,319 in Lisbon.

  • Puerto Vallarta $3,259
  • Lisbon $4,319

Living in Puerto Vallarta costs roughly 28% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Puerto Vallarta 19% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Puerto Vallarta
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.62 MX$252
$16.50 €14.67
-17.45%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$58.3 MX$1,076
$61.3 €54.5
-4.90%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.17 MX$206
$11.27 €10.03
-0.89%
Cappuccino
$4.23 MX$78.2
$3.06 €2.72
38.24%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.86 MX$34.43
$2.26 €2.01
-17.70%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.38 MX$25.59
$1.73 €1.54
-20.23%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.93 MX$54.1
$3.39 €3.02
-13.57%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.24 MX$78.3
$3.40 €3.02
24.71%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Puerto Vallarta
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.79 MX$33.17
$1.12 €1.00
59.82%
White Bread (500g)
$3.51 MX$64.9
$1.86 €1.65
88.71%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.00 MX$36.97
$1.53 €1.36
30.72%
Eggs
$2.20 MX$40.72
$3.96 €3.53
-44.44%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.04 MX$185
$12.76 €11.35
-21.32%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.99 MX$203
$7.90 €7.02
39.11%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.33 MX$302
$16.97 €15.09
-3.77%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 MX$54.2
$2.27 €2.02
29.07%
Banana (1kg)
$1.51 MX$27.99
$1.75 €1.55
-13.71%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.94 MX$35.88
$1.85 €1.64
4.86%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.13 MX$39.43
$2.57 €2.28
-17.12%
Potato (1kg)
$2.40 MX$44.26
$1.86 €1.65
29.03%
Onion (1kg)
$3.17 MX$58.5
$2.02 €1.80
56.93%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.39 MX$25.73
$1.44 €1.28
-3.47%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.13 MX$20.97
$0.82 €0.73
37.80%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.30 MX$79.5
$6.56 €5.83
-34.45%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.13 MX$206
$5.62 €5.00
98.04%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.87 MX$34.64
$1.28 €1.14
46.09%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.58 MX$47.63
$2.07 €1.84
24.64%
🚌 Getting Around
Puerto Vallarta
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.62 MX$11.54
$2.35 €2.09
-73.62%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$21.79 MX$403
$44.18 €39.30
-50.68%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.78 MX$88.4
$3.99 €3.55
19.80%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.08 MX$56.9
$1.09 €0.97
182.57%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.26 MX$78.8
$16.64 €14.81
-74.40%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.55 MX$28.63
$2.28 €2.03
-32.02%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.5K MX$396.7K
$33.7K €30.0K
-36.25%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.0K MX$443.2K
$39.3K €35.0K
-38.96%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Puerto Vallarta
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$85.7 MX$1,583
$167 €149
-48.84%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.48 MX$471
$18.80 €16.72
35.53%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.81 MX$588
$33.09 €29.43
-3.87%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Puerto Vallarta
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$36.74 MX$679
$46.01 €40.93
-20.15%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.96 MX$276
$19.19 €17.07
-22.04%
Cinema Ticket
$8.74 MX$161
$9.84 €8.75
-11.18%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Puerto Vallarta
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$335 MX$6,187
$677 €602
-50.56%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,188 MX$114.3K
$16.9K €15.1K
-63.43%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Puerto Vallarta
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.6 MX$1,008
$101 €90.1
-46.11%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.55 MX$638
$45.76 €40.70
-24.50%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$102 MX$1,893
$100.0 €88.9
2.45%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$95.0 MX$1,755
$123 €109
-22.65%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Puerto Vallarta
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,311 MX$24.2K
$1,614 €1,436
-18.80%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$687 MX$12.7K
$1,197 €1,065
-42.65%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,068 MX$38.2K
$2,862 €2,545
-27.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,105 MX$20.4K
$1,990 €1,770
-44.47%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,117 MX$94.6K
$7,577 €6,740
-32.46%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,541 MX$47.0K
$4,307 €3,831
-41.00%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Puerto Vallarta
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$910 MX$16.8K
$1,588 €1,412
-42.71%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.7
3.85
203.90%

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

Last update for Puerto Vallarta: October 10, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Puerto Vallarta
$687
Lisbon
$1.2K 74.4% $511
Groceries & Markets
Puerto Vallarta
$316
Lisbon
$269 14.6% $46
Eating Out
Puerto Vallarta
$229
Lisbon
$242 5.6% $13
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Puerto Vallarta
$143
Lisbon
$219 53.5% $76
Clothing & Footwear
Puerto Vallarta
$129
Lisbon
$166 29.1% $37
Sport & Entertainment
Puerto Vallarta
$54
Lisbon
$66 21.2% $11
Getting Around
Puerto Vallarta
$44
Lisbon
$63 41.7% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,311 in Puerto Vallarta and $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 75% 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 Puerto Vallarta vs $61.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $316 vs $269, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Puerto Vallarta
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
09:03 9:03 AM
16:03 4:03 PM
7 h ahead of Puerto Vallarta
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
224,166
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.78 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Puerto Vallarta Lisbon 9,090 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Puerto Vallarta
  • Lisbon

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
What is the total cost difference between living in Puerto Vallarta and in Lisbon?
Puerto Vallarta and Lisbon differ by about 39% in total monthly costs ($1,602 vs $2,223 including rent). Puerto Vallarta is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 75% 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Puerto Vallarta and in Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,311 in Puerto Vallarta versus $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Puerto Vallarta and Lisbon?
Childcare runs $335 in Puerto Vallarta versus $677 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 17% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city is more doable on $2,500 per month?
At $1,602 in Puerto Vallarta versus $2,223 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.
How does quality of life compare between Puerto Vallarta and Lisbon?
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.
Is Puerto Vallarta or Lisbon safer for residents?
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.
Where should expats move: Puerto Vallarta or Lisbon?
Expats usually find Puerto Vallarta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Puerto Vallarta vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?