Measurement units Temperature, distance and clock format
Last update: Nov 2026
Cost of Living Comparison Between Ambon and Lisbon
For one person, living is cheaper in Ambon: $588 a month against $2,206 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $19,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ambon and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $588 in Ambon versus $2,206 in Lisbon.
Ambon $588
Lisbon $2,206
Estimated couple costs with rent: $995 in Ambon versus $3,276 in Lisbon.
Ambon $995
Lisbon $3,276
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,401 in Ambon versus $4,346 in Lisbon.
Ambon $1,401
Lisbon $4,346
🌍
Living in Ambon costs roughly 73% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: Ambon is 56% below, Lisbon is 63% above.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Ambon
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.11Rp 20.2K
$16.86€14.98
-93.42%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$14.28Rp 259.2K
$61.0€54.2
-76.61%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$3.83Rp 69.5K
$10.98€9.75
-65.12%
Cappuccino
$1.49Rp 27.1K
$3.05€2.71
-51.15%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.46Rp 8,379
$2.28€2.03
-79.82%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.28Rp 5,002
$1.68€1.49
-83.33%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.23Rp 40.6K
$3.44€3.05
-35.17%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.46Rp 62.9K
$3.91€3.47
-11.51%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ambon
Lisbon
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.03Rp 18.8K
$1.15€1.02
-10.43%
White Bread(500g)
$0.98Rp 17.7K
$1.89€1.68
-48.15%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$0.79Rp 14.3K
$1.50€1.33
-47.33%
Eggs
$1.37Rp 24.8K
$4.12€3.66
-66.75%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$7.18Rp 130.3K
$13.01€11.55
-44.81%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$2.85Rp 51.7K
$8.04€7.15
-64.55%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$7.47Rp 135.6K
$17.89€15.89
-58.24%
Apples(1kg)
$2.18Rp 39.5K
$2.27€2.02
-3.96%
Banana(1kg)
$1.31Rp 23.7K
$1.74€1.55
-24.71%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.60Rp 29.0K
$1.82€1.62
-12.09%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.24Rp 22.5K
$2.69€2.39
-53.90%
Potato(1kg)
$1.28Rp 23.2K
$1.77€1.57
-27.68%
Onion(1kg)
$1.90Rp 34.5K
$1.94€1.72
-2.06%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.80Rp 14.5K
$1.46€1.30
-45.21%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.40Rp 7,208
$0.76€0.68
-47.37%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$2.19Rp 39.8K
$6.66€5.91
-67.12%
Wine(Bottle)
$20.54Rp 372.9K
$5.64€5.01
264.18%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.81Rp 32.9K
$1.29€1.15
40.31%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.92Rp 53.1K
$2.14€1.90
36.45%
🚌 Getting Around
Ambon
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.25Rp 4,558
$2.30€2.04
-89.13%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$11.45Rp 207.8K
$44.02€39.10
-73.99%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.50Rp 9,159
$3.98€3.54
-87.44%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.29Rp 5,354
$0.64€0.57
-54.69%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$2.71Rp 49.1K
$18.93€16.81
-85.68%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$0.80Rp 14.5K
$2.28€2.02
-64.91%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.7KRp 430.3M
$33.4K€29.6K
-28.99%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.6KRp 645.7M
$38.5K€34.2K
-7.64%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ambon
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$55.9Rp 1.0M
$158€141
-64.66%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$5.62Rp 102.1K
$17.54€15.58
-67.96%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.16Rp 347.8K
$31.18€27.70
-38.55%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ambon
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$18.90Rp 343.0K
$44.64€39.66
-57.66%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.07Rp 128.3K
$18.98€16.86
-62.75%
Cinema Ticket
$1.41Rp 25.6K
$9.58€8.51
-85.28%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ambon
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$94.9Rp 1.7M
$674€598
-85.91%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$8,975Rp 162.9M
$18.7K€16.6K
-52.08%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ambon
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.58Rp 791.1K
$102€90.8
-57.35%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$27.84Rp 505.4K
$45.90€40.77
-39.35%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$75.7Rp 1.4M
$102€90.8
-25.89%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$70.6Rp 1.3M
$122€108
-42.10%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ambon
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$211Rp 3.8M
$1,641€1,457
-87.14%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$124Rp 2.3M
$1,187€1,055
-89.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$612Rp 11.1M
$2,825€2,509
-78.35%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$420Rp 7.6M
$2,018€1,793
-79.18%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$1,295Rp 23.5M
$7,836€6,960
-83.47%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$756Rp 13.7M
$4,701€4,176
-83.91%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ambon
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$121Rp 2.2M
$1,687€1,499
-92.80%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
9.45
3.82
147.38%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Ambon: November 1, 2026
Last update for Lisbon: November 1, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🛒Groceries & Markets
Ambon
$190 32.3%
Lisbon
$275 12.5% ↑ 44.7%$85
🏠Accommodation & Living
Ambon
$124 21.2%
Lisbon
$1.2K 53.8% ↑ 854%$1.1K
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Ambon
$98 16.7%
Lisbon
$168 7.6% ↑ 70.9%$70
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ambon
$81 13.7%
Lisbon
$207 9.4% ↑ 156%$126
🍽Eating Out
Ambon
$59 10.1%
Lisbon
$245 11.1% ↑ 314%$186
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Ambon
$22 3.7%
Lisbon
$64 2.9% ↑ 194%$42
🚌Getting Around
Ambon
$14 2.5%
Lisbon
$60 2.7% ↑ 319%$46
🛒Groceries & Markets
Ambon
$414 29.6%
Lisbon
$655 15.1% ↑ 58.2%$241
🏠Accommodation & Living
Ambon
$420 30%
Lisbon
$2K 46.4% ↑ 380%$1.6K
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Ambon
$218 15.6%
Lisbon
$372 8.6% ↑ 70.9%$154
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ambon
$86 6.2%
Lisbon
$224 5.2% ↑ 160%$138
🍽Eating Out
Ambon
$182 13%
Lisbon
$804 18.5% ↑ 341%$621
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Ambon
$51 3.6%
Lisbon
$147 3.4% ↑ 190%$96
🚌Getting Around
Ambon
$29 2.1%
Lisbon
$125 2.9% ↑ 327%$96
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $211 in Ambon and $1,641 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Lisbon pays about 14 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.
🛒Dining out: $14 in Ambon vs $61 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $275 per month, with Ambon cheaper across the board.
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
Ambon vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Ambon or Lisbon?
Ambon wins on cost – living expenses run 73% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Ambon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Ambon or in Lisbon?
On paper, salaries run 93% lower in Ambon. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Ambon compared to Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $211 in Ambon versus $1,641 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Ambon compared to Lisbon?
All in, you’ll spend $588 per month in Ambon versus $2,206 in Lisbon – Ambon is about 73% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
How expensive is transport in Ambon compared to Lisbon?
A monthly transit pass in Ambon runs roughly 74% less than in Lisbon. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
Can you live on $800/month in Ambon or in Lisbon?
At $588 in Ambon versus $2,206 in Lisbon, a $800 budget is realistic in Ambon but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Ambon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Ambon or 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.
How safe is Ambon compared to Lisbon?
Safety-wise, Ambon and Lisbon are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Ambon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 73% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.