Cost of Living · PT vs MX
🇵🇹 Lisbon vs 🇲🇽 Mexico City: what everyday life costs
Monthly essentials: $1,298 in Portugal vs $1,258 in Mexico — 3.02% cheaper.
Biggest differences
Much cheaper in Mexico
- 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center: -3.45%
- 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center: -3.45%
- 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center: -3.45%
Closest to Portugal prices
- 🍻 Imported beer, 330ml bottle: -0.92%
- 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand): -0.98%
- 👟 Running shoes (brand): -0.99%
The full basket (32 items)
| Item | Portugal | Mexico | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center | $866 | $836 (16,084 MXN) | -3.45% |
| 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center | $693 | $669 (12,867 MXN) | -3.45% |
| 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center | $1,583 | $1,529 (29,410 MXN) | -3.45% |
| Food out | |||
| 🍜 Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $10.36 | $10.07 (194 MXN) | -2.8% |
| 🍽️ Dinner for two, mid-range | $43.15 | $41.98 (808 MXN) | -2.71% |
| 🍔 Fast-food combo meal | $6.65 | $6.49 (125 MXN) | -2.41% |
| Groceries | |||
| 🥛 Milk, 1L | $0.74 | $0.72 (14 MXN) | -2.7% |
| 🍞 Bread, fresh loaf 500g | $2.14 | $2.10 (40 MXN) | -1.87% |
| 🥚 Eggs, dozen | $2.27 | $2.23 (43 MXN) | -1.76% |
| 🍗 Chicken breast, 1kg | $6.69 | $6.56 (126 MXN) | -1.94% |
| 🍚 White rice, 1kg | $2.68 | $2.62 (50 MXN) | -2.24% |
| 🍎 Apples, 1kg | $3.21 | $3.15 (61 MXN) | -1.87% |
| 🧀 Local cheese, 1kg | $8.03 | $7.87 (151 MXN) | -1.99% |
| 💧 Water, 1.5L bottle | $1.34 | $1.31 (25 MXN) | -2.24% |
| Drinks | |||
| 🍺 Domestic beer, pint (draught) | $3.45 | $3.36 (65 MXN) | -2.61% |
| 🍻 Imported beer, 330ml bottle | $6.54 | $6.48 (125 MXN) | -0.92% |
| ☕ Cappuccino | $2.88 | $2.80 (54 MXN) | -2.78% |
| 🥤 Coke/Pepsi, 330ml | $1.54 | $1.51 (29 MXN) | -1.95% |
| Transport | |||
| 🚇 Public transport, monthly pass | $39.32 | $38.35 (738 MXN) | -2.47% |
| 🎫 Public transport, one-way | $1.66 | $1.62 (31 MXN) | -2.41% |
| 🚕 Taxi start (normal tariff) | $2.30 | $2.24 (43 MXN) | -2.61% |
| 🛣️ Taxi, per km | $1.04 | $1.01 (19 MXN) | -2.88% |
| ⛽ Petrol/gasoline, 1L | $0.78 | $0.77 (15 MXN) | -1.28% |
| Utilities & comms | |||
| 💡 Basic utilities, 85m² apartment | $121 | $118 (2,270 MXN) | -2.48% |
| 🌐 Internet, 60Mbps+ unlimited | $42.35 | $41.30 (795 MXN) | -2.48% |
| 📱 Mobile plan, 10GB+ data | $27.23 | $26.55 (511 MXN) | -2.5% |
| Lifestyle | |||
| 🏋️ Gym membership, month | $28.77 | $27.98 (538 MXN) | -2.75% |
| 🎬 Cinema seat | $8.05 | $7.84 (151 MXN) | -2.61% |
| 💈 Men's haircut | $17.26 | $16.79 (323 MXN) | -2.72% |
| 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand) | $44.98 | $44.54 (857 MXN) | -0.98% |
| 👟 Running shoes (brand) | $73.61 | $72.88 (1,402 MXN) | -0.99% |
| 💻 Coworking hot desk, month | $144 | $140 (2,692 MXN) | -2.73% |
Estimated from World Bank — Consumption price levels with per-item elasticity — model figures, not quotes. Compare any pair in the interactive tool.
Related
Frequently asked questions
- How much cheaper is Mexico than Portugal?
- A single person's monthly essentials run about $1,258 in Mexico versus $1,298 in Portugal — 3.02% less. Rents differ the most; world-priced goods like petrol and electronics the least.
- What does a beer cost in Mexico?
- A domestic draught pint is roughly $3.36 in Mexico (≈ 64.64 MXN), versus about $3.45 in Portugal.
- How much is rent in Mexico compared to Portugal?
- A 1-bedroom city-center apartment is estimated at $836/month in Mexico versus $866/month in Portugal (-3.45%). Housing is the most locally-priced item in the basket.
- How are these prices estimated?
- Curated US baseline prices scaled by each country's purchasing-power price level with per-item elasticities (housing 1.4, services 1.1, groceries 0.8, world-priced goods 0.4) — model estimates for orientation, not quotes.