Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between El Nido and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in El Nido: $730 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $17,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in El Nido
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El Nido Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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El Nido

🇵🇭 Philippines

$730

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $730 per month in El Nido vs $2,210 in Lisbon, rent included.

El Nido $730
Lisbon $2,210

A couple spends around $1,156 per month in El Nido vs $3,275 in Lisbon, rent included.

El Nido $1,156
Lisbon $3,275

A family of three spends $1,582 per month in El Nido vs $4,341 in Lisbon, rent included.

El Nido $1,582
Lisbon $4,341

El Nido is about 67% cheaper than Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

El Nido sits 46% below the global median, while Lisbon is 62% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.86 ₱247

$16.65 €14.95

-76.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.35 ₱1,939

$61.7 €55.5

-50.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.60 ₱230

$11.36 €10.20

-68.31%

Cappuccino

$2.19 ₱140

$2.97 €2.67

-26.26%

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

$1.14 ₱73.1

$2.29 €2.06

-50.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₱20.08

$1.74 €1.56

-82.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ₱78.5

$3.40 €3.06

-63.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₱119

$3.31 €2.97

-43.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ₱118

$1.16 €1.04

58.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 ₱65.3

$1.91 €1.72

-46.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 ₱80.9

$1.51 €1.36

-15.89%

Eggs

$1.85 ₱118

$4.02 €3.61

-53.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.93 ₱379

$12.94 €11.62

-54.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.88 ₱248

$7.77 €6.98

-50.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.76 ₱432

$17.76 €15.95

-61.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 ₱147

$2.30 €2.07

0.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₱103

$1.73 €1.56

-6.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 ₱144

$1.86 €1.67

21.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.12 ₱71.4

$2.59 €2.33

-56.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 ₱131

$1.82 €1.64

13.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 ₱142

$1.97 €1.77

12.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 ₱72.7

$1.47 €1.32

-22.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₱36.03

$0.72 €0.65

-22.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.92 ₱186

$6.58 €5.91

-55.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.28 ₱529

$5.61 €5.04

47.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 ₱59.2

$1.36 €1.22

-31.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 ₱114

$2.14 €1.92

-16.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₱14.10

$2.33 €2.10

-90.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.54 ₱865

$44.68 €40.14

-69.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱49.41

$3.85 €3.46

-80.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.99

$1.07 €0.96

-79.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.99 ₱127

$16.46 €14.79

-87.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ₱81.3

$2.20 €1.98

-42.27%

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

$19.0K ₱1.2M

$34.2K €30.7K

-44.41%

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

$20.2K ₱1.3M

$38.7K €34.8K

-47.72%

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

$125 ₱8,015

$161 €145

-22.19%

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

$16.25 ₱1,038

$18.41 €16.54

-11.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.48 ₱1,500

$32.74 €29.41

-28.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.49 ₱2,012

$44.55 €40.02

-29.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.99 ₱319

$19.10 €17.16

-73.87%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 ₱324

$9.60 €8.62

-47.19%

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

$144 ₱9,190

$668 €600

-78.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,421 ₱538.1K

$17.6K €15.8K

-52.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.73 ₱2,155

$102 €91.6

-66.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.38 ₱1,238

$44.46 €39.94

-56.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.6 ₱4,190

$98.5 €88.5

-33.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.3 ₱3,980

$124 €111

-49.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$248 ₱15.8K

$1,608 €1,445

-84.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$160 ₱10.2K

$1,190 €1,069

-86.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$507 ₱32.4K

$2,812 €2,526

-81.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$359 ₱22.9K

$2,013 €1,808

-82.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,535 ₱161.9K

$7,839 €7,042

-67.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,054 ₱67.3K

$4,576 €4,110

-76.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$246 ₱15.7K

$1,575 €1,415

-84.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.92

3.85

79.74%

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

Last update for El Nido: October 27, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

El Nido

$181 24.8%

Lisbon

$272 12.3% 50.4% $91

Monthly Utilities & Internet

El Nido

$165 22.6%

Lisbon

$212 9.6% 28.6% $47

Accommodation & Living

El Nido

$160 22%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8% 643% $1K

Eating Out

El Nido

$84 11.5%

Lisbon

$243 11% 190% $159

Clothing & Footwear

El Nido

$81 11.2%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 104% $84

Sport & Entertainment

El Nido

$42 5.7%

Lisbon

$64 2.9% 53.1% $22

Getting Around

El Nido

$16 2.2%

Lisbon

$63 2.9% 288% $47

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $248 in El Nido 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 6.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in El Nido versus $62 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $181 vs $272 – making El Nido the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 El Nido

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

01:41 1:41 AM

17:41 5:41 PM

8 h behind El Nido

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

50,494

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 63.89 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.13 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

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

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

El Nido Lisbon 12,320 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

El Nido
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

El Nido vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $730 in El Nido, $2,210 in Lisbon – roughly 203% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,094 per month in El Nido 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 El Nido, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $248 there versus $1,608 in Lisbon.

Public transport costs about 70% less in El Nido. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $144 per month in El Nido and $668 in Lisbon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in El Nido, where all-in costs run around $730, than in Lisbon at $2,210. In El Nido it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward El Nido – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with El Nido. 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.