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: $1,151 in Toluca versus $2,243 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,873 in Toluca versus $3,315 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,594 in Toluca versus $4,387 in Lisbon.

Living in Toluca costs roughly 49% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Toluca is 14% below, Lisbon is 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.53 MX$165

$15.73 €13.42

-39.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.84 MX$742

$63.2 €53.9

-32.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.09 MX$140

$10.32 €8.80

-21.61%

Cappuccino

$2.92 MX$50.6

$2.81 €2.40

3.91%

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

$1.16 MX$20.02

$2.33 €1.99

-50.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 MX$13.93

$1.51 €1.29

-47.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.07 MX$35.82

$3.37 €2.87

-38.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 MX$58.8

$3.91 €3.34

-13.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 MX$23.75

$1.08 €0.92

26.85%

White Bread (500g)

$3.42 MX$59.2

$1.75 €1.49

95.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$33.54

$1.75 €1.50

10.86%

Eggs

$2.62 MX$45.43

$3.10 €2.64

-15.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.77 MX$99.9

$13.28 €11.33

-56.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.90 MX$172

$7.85 €6.70

26.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.86 MX$205

$16.05 €13.69

-26.11%

Apples (1kg)

$4.24 MX$73.5

$2.39 €2.04

77.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.60

$1.72 €1.47

-0.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 MX$33.73

$1.97 €1.68

-1.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.62

$2.55 €2.17

-14.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.46 MX$42.59

$1.79 €1.53

37.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 MX$41.35

$1.97 €1.68

21.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.89 MX$32.74

$1.96 €1.67

-3.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 MX$17.78

$0.84 €0.71

22.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.79 MX$83.0

$6.82 €5.82

-29.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.33 MX$231

$5.85 €4.99

127.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 MX$33.30

$1.38 €1.18

39.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 MX$58.6

$2.92 €2.49

15.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 MX$11.39

$2.29 €1.95

-71.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.88 €39.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 MX$55.3

$4.12 €3.51

-22.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.23 MX$38.68

$0.81 €0.69

175.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.97 MX$138

$18.94 €16.16

-57.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 MX$21.58

$2.09 €1.78

-40.19%

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

$27.7K MX$479.3K

$35.1K €30.0K

-21.24%

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

$28.6K MX$496.1K

$39.7K €33.9K

-27.92%

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

$46.78 MX$811

$150 €128

-68.72%

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

$21.78 MX$377

$20.49 €17.48

6.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.22 MX$593

$39.15 €33.40

-12.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.3 MX$872

$49.65 €42.35

1.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.93 MX$397

$18.47 €15.76

24.15%

Cinema Ticket

$7.00 MX$121

$9.20 €7.84

-23.91%

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

$167 MX$2,893

$624 €533

-73.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,102 MX$88.4K

$15.9K €13.6K

-67.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.9 MX$968

$102 €87.2

-45.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.4 MX$1,047

$40.88 €34.87

47.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 MX$1,629

$95.7 €81.6

-1.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 MX$1,787

$121 €103

-14.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$643 MX$11.1K

$1,653 €1,410

-61.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$386 MX$6,684

$1,233 €1,051

-68.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$941 MX$16.3K

$3,043 €2,596

-69.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$764 MX$13.2K

$2,059 €1,756

-62.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,351 MX$23.4K

$7,879 €6,720

-82.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$957 MX$16.6K

$4,303 €3,671

-77.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,366 MX$23.7K

$1,566 €1,336

-12.81%

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: April 22, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $643 in Toluca and $1,653 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 15% 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 in Toluca vs $63 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $294 vs $270, 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 95% in total monthly costs ($1,151 vs $2,243 including rent). Toluca is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Lisbon earns 15% 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: $643 in Toluca versus $1,653 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 $1,151 per month in Toluca versus $2,243 in Lisbon – a 95% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,151 in Toluca versus $2,243 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 95% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.