Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zihuatanejo and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Zihuatanejo: $1,131 a month against $2,202 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Zihuatanejo, Mexico
Lisbon, Portugal
Zihuatanejo
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,131
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,202
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zihuatanejo 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 Zihuatanejo and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,131 in Zihuatanejo versus $2,202 in Lisbon.

  • Zihuatanejo $1,131
  • Lisbon $2,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,824 in Zihuatanejo versus $3,274 in Lisbon.

  • Zihuatanejo $1,824
  • Lisbon $3,274

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,517 in Zihuatanejo versus $4,346 in Lisbon.

  • Zihuatanejo $2,517
  • Lisbon $4,346

Living in Zihuatanejo costs roughly 49% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Zihuatanejo is 17% below, Lisbon is 62% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Zihuatanejo
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.86 MX$203
$17.04 €15.18
-36.27%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$44.16 MX$827
$62.3 €55.5
-29.11%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.74 MX$164
$11.02 €9.82
-20.69%
Cappuccino
$3.48 MX$65.2
$3.12 €2.78
11.54%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.36 MX$25.45
$2.27 €2.02
-40.09%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.02 MX$19.08
$1.74 €1.55
-41.38%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.45 MX$45.89
$3.42 €3.05
-28.36%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.98 MX$74.4
$3.74 €3.33
6.42%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Zihuatanejo
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 MX$31.05
$1.17 €1.04
41.88%
White Bread (500g)
$2.55 MX$47.69
$1.86 €1.66
37.10%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.65 MX$30.90
$1.54 €1.38
7.14%
Eggs
$2.44 MX$45.61
$4.06 €3.62
-39.90%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.11 MX$152
$12.91 €11.51
-37.18%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.52 MX$159
$7.90 €7.05
7.85%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.56 MX$216
$17.64 €15.73
-34.47%
Apples (1kg)
$2.72 MX$51.0
$2.26 €2.02
20.35%
Banana (1kg)
$1.56 MX$29.27
$1.75 €1.56
-10.86%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.39
$1.89 €1.69
2.65%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.77 MX$33.10
$2.56 €2.28
-30.86%
Potato (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.24
$1.85 €1.65
4.86%
Onion (1kg)
$1.88 MX$35.15
$1.97 €1.76
-4.57%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.43 MX$26.71
$1.45 €1.29
-1.38%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.09 MX$20.47
$0.77 €0.69
41.56%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.28 MX$80.1
$6.71 €5.98
-36.21%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.27 MX$192
$5.67 €5.05
81.13%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 MX$34.04
$1.37 €1.22
32.85%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.06 MX$57.3
$2.11 €1.88
45.02%
🚌 Getting Around
Zihuatanejo
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.68 MX$12.77
$2.32 €2.07
-70.69%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$44.43 €39.60
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.61 MX$48.93
$3.95 €3.52
-33.92%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.02 MX$37.88
$1.05 €0.94
92.38%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.18 MX$209
$17.15 €15.29
-34.81%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.44 MX$26.93
$2.19 €1.96
-34.25%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.3K MX$398.4K
$33.8K €30.1K
-36.99%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.9K MX$447.0K
$38.3K €34.1K
-37.59%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Zihuatanejo
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$57.3 MX$1,072
$164 €146
-65.04%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.00 MX$431
$18.48 €16.47
24.46%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.80 MX$558
$32.96 €29.38
-9.59%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Zihuatanejo
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$34.76 MX$651
$45.87 €40.88
-24.22%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.02 MX$375
$18.68 €16.65
7.17%
Cinema Ticket
$5.14 MX$96.2
$9.75 €8.69
-47.28%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Zihuatanejo
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$216 MX$4,041
$684 €610
-68.43%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,526 MX$84.7K
$17.6K €15.7K
-74.32%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Zihuatanejo
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$55.5 MX$1,038
$104 €92.5
-46.52%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.25 MX$753
$46.20 €41.18
-12.88%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 MX$1,844
$99.7 €88.9
-1.19%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$90.0 MX$1,684
$125 €111
-27.84%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Zihuatanejo
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$596 MX$11.1K
$1,589 €1,417
-62.52%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$384 MX$7,182
$1,169 €1,042
-67.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,053 MX$19.7K
$2,851 €2,541
-63.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$759 MX$14.2K
$1,993 €1,776
-61.93%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,915 MX$35.8K
$7,793 €6,946
-75.42%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,149 MX$21.5K
$4,418 €3,938
-73.99%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Zihuatanejo
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,600 €1,426
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.3
3.85
193.51%

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

Last update for Zihuatanejo: October 19, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Zihuatanejo
$384
Lisbon
$1.2K 205% $785
Groceries & Markets
Zihuatanejo
$264
Lisbon
$273 3.5% $9.3
Eating Out
Zihuatanejo
$185
Lisbon
$247 34.1% $63
Clothing & Footwear
Zihuatanejo
$128
Lisbon
$168 31.7% $41
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Zihuatanejo
$110
Lisbon
$215 95.6% $105
Sport & Entertainment
Zihuatanejo
$45
Lisbon
$65 45.2% $20
Getting Around
Zihuatanejo
$15 *
Lisbon
$63 307% $47

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $596 in Zihuatanejo and $1,589 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $44 in Zihuatanejo vs $62 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $264 vs $273 per month, with Zihuatanejo cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Zihuatanejo
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
02:18 2:18 AM
08:18 8:18 AM
6 h ahead of Zihuatanejo
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
67,408
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 26, 2026: 1 USD = 18.72 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 21 MXN (100 MXN = 4.76 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 0.891 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Zihuatanejo Lisbon 9,000 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Zihuatanejo
  • 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
Zihuatanejo vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Zihuatanejo and in Lisbon?
Zihuatanejo and Lisbon differ by about 95% in total monthly costs ($1,131 vs $2,202 including rent). Zihuatanejo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Zihuatanejo compared to Lisbon?
You’d need roughly $1,696 in Zihuatanejo and $3,302 in Lisbon to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do apartment prices compare in Zihuatanejo and in Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $596 in Zihuatanejo versus $1,589 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more expensive overall: Zihuatanejo or Lisbon?
All in, you’ll spend $1,131 per month in Zihuatanejo versus $2,202 in Lisbon – a 95% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $1,131 in Zihuatanejo versus $2,202 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Zihuatanejo but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Zihuatanejo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Zihuatanejo 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 Zihuatanejo or Lisbon safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Zihuatanejo 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.

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