Cost of Living Comparison Between San Miguel de Allende and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between San Miguel de Allende and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,732 in San Miguel de Allende versus $2,316 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,720 in San Miguel de Allende versus $3,361 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,707 in San Miguel de Allende versus $4,405 in Lisbon.

Living in San Miguel de Allende costs roughly 25% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Miguel de Allende 26% above, Lisbon 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.15 MX$274

$17.30 €14.92

-6.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.82 MX$762

$63.3 €54.6

-29.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.05 MX$188

$11.39 €9.83

-2.99%

Cappuccino

$4.08 MX$69.3

$3.19 €2.75

27.90%

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

$1.79 MX$30.44

$2.45 €2.11

-26.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.14

$1.76 €1.52

-35.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.83 MX$65.2

$3.59 €3.10

6.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.33 MX$108

$3.39 €2.93

86.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.32

$1.24 €1.07

29.84%

White Bread (500g)

$3.51 MX$59.7

$1.98 €1.71

77.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.87

$1.52 €1.31

30.92%

Eggs

$3.23 MX$54.9

$4.04 €3.49

-20.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.95 MX$152

$13.54 €11.68

-33.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.22 MX$225

$8.39 €7.23

57.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.51 MX$331

$18.25 €15.74

6.90%

Apples (1kg)

$4.32 MX$73.5

$2.29 €1.97

88.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 MX$29.16

$1.74 €1.50

-1.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.11 MX$52.9

$1.86 €1.60

67.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.98 MX$50.7

$2.63 €2.27

13.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.85 MX$48.48

$1.92 €1.65

48.44%

Onion (1kg)

$3.45 MX$58.7

$2.09 €1.81

65.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 MX$20.81

$1.44 €1.24

-15.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.61

$0.84 €0.73

65.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.59 MX$78.0

$6.78 €5.85

-32.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.37 MX$295

$5.71 €4.93

204.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$45.31

$1.38 €1.19

93.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 MX$68.7

$2.22 €1.91

81.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.58 MX$9.77

$2.40 €2.07

-75.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.94 MX$118

$46.78 €40.35

-85.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.84 MX$82.3

$4.17 €3.60

16.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.82 MX$81.8

$1.14 €0.98

322.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.99 MX$204

$17.68 €15.25

-32.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$25.97

$2.32 €2.00

-34.05%

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

$23.1K MX$392.1K

$35.3K €30.5K

-34.69%

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

$25.6K MX$434.4K

$41.4K €35.7K

-38.31%

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

$45.17 MX$768

$170 €147

-73.48%

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

$17.58 MX$299

$19.34 €16.68

-9.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.31 MX$753

$33.64 €29.01

31.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.03 MX$663

$48.10 €41.48

-18.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$45.37 MX$771

$19.90 €17.16

127.99%

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

$9.92 €8.56

-28.33%

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

$381 MX$6,467

$717 €619

-46.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,397 MX$91.7K

$17.5K €15.1K

-69.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 MX$1,197

$105 €90.4

-32.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.8 MX$1,102

$46.95 €40.49

38.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 MX$2,076

$103 €89.2

18.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 MX$2,698

$124 €107

28.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,137 MX$19.3K

$1,677 €1,446

-32.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$706 MX$12.0K

$1,271 €1,096

-44.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,464 MX$41.9K

$2,985 €2,574

-17.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,422 MX$24.2K

$1,992 €1,718

-28.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,966 MX$50.4K

$7,826 €6,750

-62.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,727 MX$29.4K

$4,658 €4,017

-62.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 MX$11.3K

$1,583 €1,365

-58.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.05

3.79

217.94%

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

Last update for San Miguel de Allende: August 30, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,137 in San Miguel de Allende and $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 139% 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: $45.00 in San Miguel de Allende vs $63.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $376 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

San Miguel de Allende vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Miguel de Allende and Lisbon differ by about 34% in total monthly costs ($1,732 vs $2,316 including rent). San Miguel de Allende is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 139% 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: $1,137 in San Miguel de Allende versus $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $381 in San Miguel de Allende 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 33% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,732 in San Miguel de Allende versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in San Miguel de Allende but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes San Miguel de Allende 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, San Miguel de Allende 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 San Miguel de Allende gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.