Cost of Living Comparison Between Toluca and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Toluca and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,170 in Toluca versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,881 in Toluca versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,592 in Toluca versus $4,411 in Lisbon.

Living in Toluca costs roughly 47% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Toluca is 13% below, Lisbon is 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.99 MX$157

$15.91 €13.81

-43.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.08 MX$752

$64.8 €56.2

-33.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.86 MX$137

$10.51 €9.12

-25.21%

Cappuccino

$2.90 MX$50.6

$2.87 €2.49

1.05%

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

$1.16 MX$20.31

$2.24 €1.95

-48.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 MX$15.16

$1.50 €1.30

-42.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.10 MX$36.65

$3.49 €3.03

-39.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.47 MX$60.5

$3.88 €3.37

-10.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.97

$1.14 €0.99

25.44%

White Bread (500g)

$3.40 MX$59.3

$1.75 €1.52

94.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.95 MX$34.07

$1.76 €1.52

10.80%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.41

$3.22 €2.79

-21.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.81 MX$101

$13.49 €11.71

-56.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 MX$177

$7.91 €6.87

27.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.78 MX$206

$15.87 €13.77

-25.77%

Apples (1kg)

$4.23 MX$73.9

$2.31 €2.00

83.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 MX$29.68

$1.70 €1.48

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 MX$33.98

$2.01 €1.74

-2.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.28 MX$39.86

$2.46 €2.13

-7.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$42.13

$1.84 €1.60

30.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 MX$39.96

$2.00 €1.74

14.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.82 MX$31.87

$1.93 €1.67

-5.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$17.01

$0.79 €0.68

22.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.96 MX$86.7

$6.61 €5.73

-24.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 MX$235

$5.72 €4.97

135.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 MX$33.21

$1.37 €1.18

38.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 MX$58.7

$2.97 €2.58

13.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 MX$11.40

$2.37 €2.06

-72.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.53

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.9

$4.29 €3.72

-26.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 MX$38.36

$0.82 €0.71

168.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 MX$138

$18.30 €15.88

-56.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$22.00

$2.06 €1.79

-38.83%

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

$28.2K MX$493.3K

$34.3K €29.7K

-17.60%

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

$28.0K MX$489.6K

$39.3K €34.1K

-28.66%

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

$46.91 MX$819

$148 €128

-68.28%

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

$21.61 MX$377

$20.52 €17.80

5.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.03 MX$612

$39.61 €34.37

-11.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.4 MX$897

$47.85 €41.51

7.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.78 MX$398

$18.92 €16.42

20.40%

Cinema Ticket

$6.90 MX$121

$9.18 €7.97

-24.84%

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

$170 MX$2,977

$614 €533

-72.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,989 MX$87.1K

$16.0K €13.9K

-68.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.0 MX$960

$105 €90.8

-47.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.3 MX$1,054

$42.06 €36.49

43.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 MX$1,635

$94.0 €81.5

-0.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 MX$1,784

$120 €104

-14.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$660 MX$11.5K

$1,628 €1,412

-59.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 MX$6,538

$1,255 €1,089

-70.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$929 MX$16.2K

$3,030 €2,629

-69.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$747 MX$13.1K

$2,020 €1,753

-63.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,396 MX$24.4K

$7,800 €6,767

-82.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$977 MX$17.1K

$4,273 €3,707

-77.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,345 MX$23.5K

$1,603 €1,391

-16.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.12

3.81

191.86%

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

Last update for Toluca: May 30, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $660 in Toluca and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 19% 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: $43.00 in Toluca vs $65.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $294 vs $269, 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

Toluca vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Toluca and Lisbon differ by about 89% in total monthly costs ($1,170 vs $2,210 including rent). Toluca is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Lisbon earns 19% 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: $660 in Toluca versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,170 per month in Toluca versus $2,210 in Lisbon – a 89% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,170 in Toluca versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Toluca but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Toluca 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, Toluca 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 Toluca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 89% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.