Cost of Living Comparison Between Zihuatanejo and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Zihuatanejo and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,109 in Zihuatanejo versus $2,243 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,760 in Zihuatanejo versus $3,315 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,412 in Zihuatanejo versus $4,387 in Lisbon.

Living in Zihuatanejo costs roughly 51% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Zihuatanejo is 17% below, Lisbon is 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.72 MX$186

$15.73 €13.39

-31.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.23 MX$662

$63.2 €53.8

-39.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.73 MX$134

$10.32 €8.78

-25.10%

Cappuccino

$3.22 MX$55.8

$2.81 €2.39

14.59%

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

$1.23 MX$21.29

$2.33 €1.98

-47.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.54

$1.51 €1.28

-37.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.31 MX$40.08

$3.37 €2.87

-31.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 MX$65.7

$3.91 €3.33

-3.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$25.01

$1.08 €0.92

33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.40 MX$58.9

$1.75 €1.49

94.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.94

$1.75 €1.49

-10.86%

Eggs

$4.30 MX$74.5

$3.10 €2.64

38.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.11 MX$140

$13.28 €11.30

-38.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.67 MX$133

$7.85 €6.68

-2.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.77 MX$186

$16.05 €13.66

-32.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 MX$46.66

$2.39 €2.03

12.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$23.90

$1.72 €1.47

-19.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 MX$29.82

$1.97 €1.68

-12.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 MX$28.71

$2.55 €2.17

-34.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$33.17

$1.79 €1.53

7.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.87

$1.97 €1.68

2.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 MX$20.79

$1.96 €1.67

-38.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 MX$17.61

$0.84 €0.71

21.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$74.6

$6.82 €5.80

-36.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.89 MX$206

$5.85 €4.98

103.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 MX$27.11

$1.38 €1.18

13.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 MX$49.63

$2.92 €2.49

-1.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 MX$11.19

$2.29 €1.95

-71.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.88 €39.89

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.66 MX$46.02

$4.12 €3.51

-35.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 MX$26.58

$0.81 €0.69

88.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.08 MX$140

$18.94 €16.12

-57.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.83

$2.09 €1.77

-36.84%

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

$21.1K MX$365.4K

$35.1K €29.9K

-39.93%

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

$22.2K MX$384.4K

$39.7K €33.8K

-44.13%

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

$56.2 MX$973

$150 €127

-62.45%

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

$10.51 MX$182

$20.49 €17.44

-48.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.40 MX$492

$39.15 €33.32

-27.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.91 MX$622

$49.65 €42.25

-27.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.58 MX$270

$18.47 €15.72

-15.65%

Cinema Ticket

$4.68 MX$81.0

$9.20 €7.83

-49.13%

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

$203 MX$3,519

$624 €531

-67.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,542 MX$61.3K

$15.9K €13.5K

-77.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 MX$933

$102 €87.0

-47.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$695

$40.88 €34.79

-1.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.0 MX$1,559

$95.7 €81.4

-5.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.7 MX$1,397

$121 €103

-33.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$513 MX$8,885

$1,653 €1,407

-68.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,760

$1,233 €1,049

-68.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$917 MX$15.9K

$3,043 €2,590

-69.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$771 MX$13.4K

$2,059 €1,752

-62.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,232 MX$38.7K

$7,879 €6,705

-71.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,294 MX$22.4K

$4,303 €3,662

-69.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,566 €1,333

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.48

3.81

201.31%

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

Last update for Zihuatanejo: April 20, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $513 in Zihuatanejo and $1,653 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $38 in Zihuatanejo vs $63 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $270 per month, with Zihuatanejo 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

Zihuatanejo vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zihuatanejo and Lisbon differ by about 102% in total monthly costs ($1,109 vs $2,243 including rent). Zihuatanejo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,663 in Zihuatanejo and $3,365 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $513 in Zihuatanejo versus $1,653 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,109 per month in Zihuatanejo versus $2,243 in Lisbon – a 102% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,109 in Zihuatanejo versus $2,243 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.

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, 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.

Expats usually find Zihuatanejo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 102% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.