Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lae and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lae: $817 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $16,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Lae

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

$817

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $817 per month in Lae vs $2,210 in Lisbon, rent included.

Lae $817
Lisbon $2,210

A couple spends around $1,470 per month in Lae vs $3,275 in Lisbon, rent included.

Lae $1,470
Lisbon $3,275

A family of three spends $2,123 per month in Lae vs $4,341 in Lisbon, rent included.

Lae $2,123
Lisbon $4,341

Lae is about 63% cheaper than Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Lae sits 40% below the global median, while Lisbon is 62% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.60 PGK 103

$16.65 €14.96

41.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.5 PGK 219

$61.7 €55.5

-18.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.20

Cappuccino

$2.66 PGK 11.57

$2.97 €2.67

-10.44%

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

$0.74 PGK 3.23

$2.29 €2.06

-67.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 PGK 2.47

$1.74 €1.56

-67.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.22 PGK 14.01

$3.40 €3.06

-5.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.10 PGK 22.13

$3.31 €2.97

54.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.98 PGK 8.62

$1.16 €1.04

70.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 PGK 6.28

$1.91 €1.72

-24.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 PGK 5.39

$1.51 €1.36

-17.88%

Eggs

$3.96 PGK 17.18

$4.02 €3.61

-1.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.41 PGK 40.86

$12.94 €11.62

-27.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.06 PGK 39.35

$7.77 €6.99

16.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.59 PGK 45.99

$17.76 €15.96

-40.37%

Apples (1kg)

$4.30 PGK 18.67

$2.30 €2.07

86.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.69 PGK 11.68

$1.73 €1.56

55.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.87 PGK 25.50

$1.86 €1.67

215.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 PGK 6.53

$2.59 €2.33

-42.08%

Potato (1kg)

$3.37 PGK 14.62

$1.82 €1.64

85.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 PGK 10.14

$1.97 €1.77

18.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 PGK 2.80

$1.47 €1.32

-56.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 PGK 3.70

$0.72 €0.65

18.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.75 PGK 29.32

$6.58 €5.92

2.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.26 PGK 53.2

$5.61 €5.04

118.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 PGK 11.27

$1.36 €1.22

90.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 PGK 18.87

$2.14 €1.92

102.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 PGK 1.37

$2.33 €2.10

-86.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.14

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.46

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.79

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 PGK 4.46

$2.20 €1.98

-53.18%

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

$34.2K €30.7K

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

$38.7K €34.8K

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

$161 €145

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

$18.41 €16.54

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.41

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €40.03

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.16

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.62

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

$668 €600

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.7

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.95

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.5

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$436 PGK 1,892

$1,608 €1,445

-72.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$260 PGK 1,131

$1,190 €1,069

-78.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 PGK 5,328

$2,812 €2,527

-56.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 PGK 2,690

$2,013 €1,809

-69.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,043

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,111

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$156 PGK 676

$1,575 €1,415

-90.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

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

Last update for Lae: 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

Lae

–

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Groceries & Markets

Lae

–

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Eating Out

Lae

–

Lisbon

$243 11%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lae

–

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Clothing & Footwear

Lae

–

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Sport & Entertainment

Lae

–

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Getting Around

Lae

–

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $436 in Lae 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 10 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50 in Lae versus $62 in Lisbon. Groceries tell a different story – $303 in Lae vs $272 in Lisbon – so Lisbon wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇬 Lae

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

00:01 12:01 AM

14:01 2:01 PM

10 h behind Lae

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

250,948

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 = 4.83 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

Lae Lisbon 15,730 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Lae
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

Lae vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon costs about 171% more than Lae, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,225 per month in Lae 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 Lae, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $436 there versus $1,608 in Lisbon.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $817 in Lae and $2,210 in Lisbon. That’s a gap of about 171%.

Interestingly, groceries are about 10% cheaper in Lisbon – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $817 in Lae 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 $817 in Lae to $2,210 in Lisbon. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Lae. 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.