Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Albay Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Albay

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $772 in Albay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,205 in Albay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,638 in Albay.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 186% more expensive than Albay, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Albay is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$3.49 ₱215

355.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$18.06 ₱1,113

258.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$3.33 ₱205

215.62%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.46 ₱152

16.67%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.77 ₱47.44

190.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.39 ₱24.14

284.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$1.35 ₱83.3

158.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$2.09 ₱129

85.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.92 ₱119

-40.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.21 ₱74.5

44.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$0.96 ₱59.1

83.33%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.06 ₱127

56.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$7.99 ₱493

68.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$4.15 ₱256

90.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$7.50 ₱462

111.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.85 ₱176

-18.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.58 ₱97.7

7.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.69 ₱166

-25.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.57 ₱96.6

56.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$2.20 ₱135

-16.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$2.53 ₱156

-20.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.07 ₱65.7

80.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.72 ₱44.23

9.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$2.78 ₱172

137.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$8.52 ₱526

-32.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.20 ₱73.9

14.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.96 ₱121

51.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.28 ₱17.28

746.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$0.81 ₱50.1

429.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.24 ₱14.85

241.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$2.18 ₱134

739.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.14 ₱70.0

80.70%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$26.5K ₱1.6M

29.32%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$20.4K ₱1.3M

92.51%

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

$148 €127

$110 ₱6,806

33.96%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$32.34 ₱1,994

-36.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$27.56 ₱1,699

43.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$33.25 ₱2,050

43.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$4.51 ₱278

319.51%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$5.87 ₱362

56.39%

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

$614 €528

$152 ₱9,356

304.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$4,241 ₱261.5K

278.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$45.77 ₱2,822

128.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$26.78 ₱1,651

57.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$75.8 ₱4,674

23.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$53.3 ₱3,287

124.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$268 ₱16.5K

507.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$177 ₱10.9K

608.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$594 ₱36.6K

409.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$402 ₱24.8K

402.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$2,794 ₱172.3K

179.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$889 ₱54.8K

380.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$163 ₱10.0K

885.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

6.67

-42.88%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Albay: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $268 in Albay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 885% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $18.00 in Albay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $204 per month, with Albay cheaper across the board.

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

Lisbon vs Albay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Albay differ by about 186% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $772 including rent). Albay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 885% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $268 in Albay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $152 in Albay. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Albay – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $65.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $772 in Albay versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Albay but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Albay the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Albay are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Albay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 186% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.