Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Boroko and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Boroko: $868 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $16,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Boroko
Learn more

Boroko Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
Learn more

Lisbon Living Index

Jump to prices

Boroko

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

$868

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $868 per month in Boroko vs $2,210 in Lisbon, rent included.

Boroko $868
Lisbon $2,210

A couple spends around $1,259 per month in Boroko vs $3,275 in Lisbon, rent included.

Boroko $1,259
Lisbon $3,275

A family of three spends $1,649 per month in Boroko vs $4,341 in Lisbon, rent included.

Boroko $1,649
Lisbon $4,341

Boroko is about 61% cheaper than Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Boroko sits 36% below the global median, while Lisbon is 62% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.29 PGK 31.67

$16.65 €14.95

-56.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.42 PGK 149

$61.7 €55.5

-44.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.35 PGK 23.26

$11.36 €10.20

-52.90%

Cappuccino

$2.48 PGK 10.76

$2.97 €2.67

-16.50%

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

$0.71 PGK 3.06

$2.29 €2.06

-69.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 PGK 2.78

$1.74 €1.56

-63.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.58 PGK 11.22

$3.40 €3.06

-24.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 PGK 14.85

$3.31 €2.97

3.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 PGK 6.51

$1.16 €1.04

29.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.16 PGK 5.02

$1.91 €1.72

-39.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 PGK 5.03

$1.51 €1.36

-23.18%

Eggs

$3.55 PGK 15.40

$4.02 €3.61

-11.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.98 PGK 21.65

$12.94 €11.62

-61.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.79 PGK 20.79

$7.77 €6.98

-38.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.61 PGK 28.72

$17.76 €15.95

-62.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.85 PGK 16.70

$2.30 €2.07

67.39%

Banana (1kg)

$3.08 PGK 13.38

$1.73 €1.56

78.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.72 PGK 11.80

$1.86 €1.67

46.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.70 PGK 11.74

$2.59 €2.33

4.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.82 PGK 12.24

$1.82 €1.64

54.95%

Onion (1kg)

$0.84 PGK 3.65

$1.97 €1.77

-57.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 PGK 4.86

$1.47 €1.32

-23.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 PGK 1.83

$0.72 €0.65

-41.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.42 PGK 23.53

$6.58 €5.91

-17.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.95 PGK 21.52

$5.61 €5.04

-11.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 PGK 4.67

$1.36 €1.22

-21.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 PGK 6.48

$2.14 €1.92

-30.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 PGK 1.83

$2.33 €2.10

-81.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.88 PGK 125

$44.68 €40.14

-35.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.40 PGK 19.11

$3.85 €3.46

14.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 PGK 5.83

$1.07 €0.96

25.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.97 PGK 47.66

$16.46 €14.79

-33.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 PGK 3.47

$2.20 €1.98

-63.64%

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

$35.7K PGK 155.0K

$34.2K €30.7K

4.39%

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

$17.6K PGK 76.4K

$38.7K €34.8K

-54.55%

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

$61.6 PGK 267

$161 €145

-61.80%

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

$20.71 PGK 90.0

$18.41 €16.54

12.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$82.1 PGK 357

$32.74 €29.41

150.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.86 PGK 182

$44.55 €40.02

-6.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.29 PGK 62.1

$19.10 €17.16

-25.18%

Cinema Ticket

$6.47 PGK 28.09

$9.60 €8.62

-32.60%

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

$333 PGK 1,445

$668 €600

-50.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,215 PGK 9,621

$17.6K €15.8K

-87.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.50 PGK 150

$102 €91.6

-66.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$12.91 PGK 56.1

$44.46 €39.94

-70.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$44.28 PGK 192

$98.5 €88.5

-55.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$26.31 PGK 114

$124 €111

-78.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,336 PGK 14.5K

$1,608 €1,445

107.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$221 PGK 959

$1,190 €1,069

-81.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,257 PGK 14.1K

$2,812 €2,526

15.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$218 PGK 947

$2,013 €1,808

-89.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,042

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,110

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$352 PGK 1,530

$1,575 €1,415

-77.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

185.71%

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

Last update for Boroko: October 25, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Boroko

$221 25.4%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8% 439% $969

Groceries & Markets

Boroko

$204 23.5%

Lisbon

$272 12.3% 33.4% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Boroko

$164 18.9%

Lisbon

$212 9.6% 29.2% $48

Eating Out

Boroko

$129 14.9%

Lisbon

$243 11% 87.7% $113

Sport & Entertainment

Boroko

$55 6.3%

Lisbon

$64 2.9% 16.3% $9

Clothing & Footwear

Boroko

$53 6.1%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 212% $113

Getting Around

Boroko

$42 4.8%

Lisbon

$63 2.9% 51.6% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,336 in Boroko versus $1,608 in Lisbon. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Lisbon are about 4.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34 in Boroko versus $62 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $204 vs $272 – making Boroko the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇬 Boroko

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

04:39 4:39 AM

18:39 6:39 PM

10 h behind Boroko

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Papua New Guinean Kina PGK K

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 PGK = 0.23 USD

1 PGK = 0.207 EUR

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to PGK – Papua New Guinean Kina Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinean Kina (K)

Papua New Guinean Kina exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4.34 PGK (1 PGK = 0.23 USD). 1 EUR = 4.84 PGK (1 PGK = 0.207 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

USD to PGK in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Boroko Lisbon 16,000 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Boroko
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

Boroko vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon costs about 155% more than Boroko, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,302 per month in Boroko and $3,315 in Lisbon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lisbon, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,608 there versus $3,336 in Boroko.

Kindergarten costs $333 per month in Boroko and $668 in Lisbon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 33% more in Lisbon, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $868 in Boroko and $2,210 in Lisbon. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Lisbon has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $868 in Boroko to $2,210 in Lisbon. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Boroko. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lisbon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.