Cost of Living Comparison Between Tulum and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Tulum and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,049 in Tulum versus $2,280 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,892 in Tulum versus $3,294 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,735 in Tulum versus $4,307 in Lisbon.

Living in Tulum costs roughly 54% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tulum is 21% below, Lisbon is 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.51 MX$182

$15.75 €13.64

-33.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.7 MX$878

$63.5 €55.0

-20.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.89 MX$137

$10.45 €9.05

-24.50%

Cappuccino

$3.78 MX$65.3

$2.91 €2.52

29.90%

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

$1.17 MX$20.23

$2.29 €1.98

-48.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.42

$1.50 €1.30

-25.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.73 MX$47.19

$3.56 €3.09

-23.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 MX$69.3

$3.96 €3.43

1.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.66

$1.08 €0.94

32.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.14 MX$19.77

$1.76 €1.53

-35.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.70

$1.70 €1.47

-12.35%

Eggs

$1.98 MX$34.26

$3.25 €2.81

-39.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.24 MX$90.7

$13.25 €11.47

-60.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.85 MX$118

$7.70 €6.67

-11.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.31 MX$109

$15.77 €13.66

-59.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.36

$2.28 €1.97

-5.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 MX$23.33

$1.66 €1.43

-18.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.42 MX$24.55

$2.02 €1.75

-29.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 MX$23.57

$2.47 €2.14

-44.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.24

$1.79 €1.55

20.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.61

$2.07 €1.79

-9.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 MX$18.09

$1.97 €1.71

-46.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 MX$15.65

$0.83 €0.72

8.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$74.3

$6.55 €5.68

-34.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.57 MX$148

$5.57 €4.82

53.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 MX$22.84

$1.33 €1.15

-0.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$21.52

$3.01 €2.60

-58.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.11 MX$19.23

$2.27 €1.97

-51.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.18 MX$37.66

$4.23 €3.66

-48.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 MX$37.07

$0.85 €0.73

151.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.15 MX$89.0

$18.83 €16.31

-72.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.50

$2.02 €1.75

-35.64%

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

$15.8K MX$274.0K

$35.0K €30.3K

-54.71%

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

$21.5K MX$371.5K

$39.6K €34.3K

-45.84%

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

$83.4 MX$1,444

$148 €128

-43.59%

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

$22.36 MX$387

$20.52 €17.77

8.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.98 MX$501

$39.52 €34.23

-26.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.85 MX$568

$48.17 €41.72

-31.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.04 MX$277

$18.39 €15.92

-12.78%

Cinema Ticket

$4.74 MX$82.0

$9.10 €7.88

-47.91%

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

$203 MX$3,511

$615 €532

-66.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,834 MX$49.0K

$16.3K €14.1K

-82.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.17 MX$453

$102 €88.0

-74.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.34 MX$542

$42.09 €36.45

-25.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.7 MX$1,361

$92.3 €79.9

-14.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.67 MX$773

$122 €106

-63.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$706 MX$12.2K

$1,612 €1,396

-56.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$398 MX$6,894

$1,254 €1,086

-68.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,455 MX$25.2K

$3,069 €2,658

-52.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 MX$21.3K

$2,037 €1,764

-39.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,268 MX$56.5K

$7,751 €6,712

-57.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,830 MX$31.7K

$4,286 €3,712

-57.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$805 MX$13.9K

$1,602 €1,387

-49.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

188.71%

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

Last update for Tulum: July 27, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $706 in Tulum and $1,612 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 99% 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: $51.0 in Tulum vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $191 vs $267 per month, with Tulum cheaper across the board.

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

Tulum vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tulum and Lisbon differ by about 117% in total monthly costs ($1,049 vs $2,280 including rent). Tulum is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 99% 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: $706 in Tulum versus $1,612 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,049 per month in Tulum versus $2,280 in Lisbon – a 117% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,049 in Tulum versus $2,280 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tulum but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Tulum 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, Tulum 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 Tulum gentler on the wallet – expenses run 117% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.