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: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $731 in Albay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,100 in Albay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $1,470 in Albay.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 210% more expensive than in Albay, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Albay is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.09

$3.65 ₱228

380.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.5

$16.73 ₱1,043

285.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.01

$2.77 ₱172

320.58%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.80

$2.15 ₱134

51.63%

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

$2.49 €2.14

$0.59 ₱36.49

322.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.32 ₱19.77

421.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$1.09 ₱67.9

218.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.07

$1.87 ₱116

91.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.68 ₱105

-29.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.67

$1.12 ₱69.9

74.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.34

$0.91 ₱56.9

71.43%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.45

$1.94 ₱121

106.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.41

$5.31 ₱331

149.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.24

$4.16 ₱259

102.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.68

$7.34 ₱458

148.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$2.29 ₱143

1.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.57 ₱97.7

10.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.66

$2.35 ₱147

-17.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.13 ₱70.7

133.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.63

$2.12 ₱132

-10.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$2.02 ₱126

4.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.78 ₱48.91

84.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.52 ₱32.69

53.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.03

$2.89 ₱180

142.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.09

$8.17 ₱510

-27.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.17

$0.98 ₱60.9

38.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.01 ₱125

6.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.27 ₱16.86

781.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.74

$11.14 ₱695

314.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.60

$0.78 ₱48.58

437.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.94

$0.25 ₱15.67

340.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.84

$1.89 ₱118

813.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.93

$1.13 ₱70.2

99.12%

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

$34.5K €29.6K

$21.8K ₱1.4M

58.06%

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

$41.6K €35.8K

$19.5K ₱1.2M

113.30%

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

$171 €147

$122 ₱7,636

39.55%

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

$19.01 €16.34

$15.25 ₱951

24.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.48

$24.58 ₱1,533

39.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.69

$31.78 ₱1,982

56.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.77

$4.76 ₱297

309.87%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.68

$5.28 ₱329

91.29%

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

$699 €601

$135 ₱8,447

416.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$8,000 ₱498.9K

122.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.9

$32.79 ₱2,045

219.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.24

$19.93 ₱1,243

140.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.6

$72.0 ₱4,487

41.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €110

$56.6 ₱3,532

126.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,428

$269 ₱16.8K

518.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,056

$173 ₱10.8K

611.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,506

$493 ₱30.7K

491.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,740

$356 ₱22.2K

468.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €6,989

$2,618 ₱163.3K

210.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,985

$1,025 ₱63.9K

352.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,392

$165 ₱10.3K

881.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

6.75

-44.00%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Albay: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $269 in Albay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 882% 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: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $17.00 in Albay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $179 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 210% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $731 including rent). Albay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 882% higher in Lisbon, 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $269 in Albay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 57% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Albay – a meal for two runs $17.00 versus $64.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $731 in Albay versus $2,268 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 210% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.