Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Albay

For one person, living is cheaper in Albay: $729 a month against $2,202 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $17,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon, Portugal
Albay, Philippines
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,202
/mo nomad
Albay
🇵🇭 Philippines
$729
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Albay

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Albay actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,202 in Lisbon versus $729 in Albay.

  • Lisbon $2,202
  • Albay $729

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,274 in Lisbon versus $1,108 in Albay.

  • Lisbon $3,274
  • Albay $1,108

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $1,487 in Albay.

  • Lisbon $4,346
  • Albay $1,487

Living in Lisbon is roughly 202% more expensive than in Albay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 62% above, Albay is 46% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Albay
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.04 €15.22
$3.78 ₱242
350.79%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$62.3 €55.6
$16.81 ₱1,074
270.55%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.02 €9.84
$2.82 ₱180
290.78%
Cappuccino
$3.12 €2.79
$2.19 ₱140
42.47%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.27 €2.02
$0.63 ₱40.22
260.32%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.56
$0.33 ₱21.13
427.27%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.42 €3.06
$1.12 ₱71.7
205.36%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.74 €3.34
$1.99 ₱127
87.94%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Albay
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.17 €1.05
$1.61 ₱103
-27.33%
White Bread (500g)
$1.86 €1.66
$1.12 ₱71.8
66.07%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.54 €1.38
$0.96 ₱61.4
60.42%
Eggs
$4.06 €3.63
$1.88 ₱120
115.96%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.91 €11.53
$5.70 ₱365
126.49%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.90 €7.06
$4.21 ₱269
87.65%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.64 €15.76
$6.95 ₱445
153.81%
Apples (1kg)
$2.26 €2.02
$2.33 ₱149
-3.00%
Banana (1kg)
$1.75 €1.56
$1.56 ₱99.7
12.18%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.89 €1.69
$2.42 ₱155
-21.90%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.56 €2.28
$1.17 ₱75.1
118.80%
Potato (1kg)
$1.85 €1.65
$1.93 ₱123
-4.15%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$1.96 ₱125
0.51%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.45 €1.29
$0.98 ₱62.4
47.96%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 €0.69
$0.54 ₱34.46
42.59%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.71 €5.99
$2.90 ₱186
131.38%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.67 €5.06
$7.69 ₱491
-26.27%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.37 €1.22
$0.96 ₱61.4
42.71%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.11 €1.89
$1.95 ₱125
8.21%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Albay
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.32 €2.07
$0.24 ₱15.19
866.67%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.43 €39.68
$11.21 ₱717
296.34%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.95 €3.52
$0.74 ₱47.17
433.78%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.05 €0.94
$0.23 ₱14.72
356.52%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$17.15 €15.32
$1.93 ₱124
788.60%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.19 €1.96
$1.24 ₱79.1
76.61%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.8K €30.2K
$21.2K ₱1.4M
59.23%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.3K €34.2K
$18.9K ₱1.2M
102.26%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Albay
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$164 €146
$124 ₱7,929
32.06%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.48 €16.50
$15.06 ₱963
22.71%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.96 €29.44
$24.69 ₱1,578
33.50%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Albay
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.87 €40.96
$32.74 ₱2,093
40.10%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.68 €16.68
$4.58 ₱293
307.86%
Cinema Ticket
$9.75 €8.71
$5.24 ₱335
86.07%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Albay
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$684 €611
$131 ₱8,392
421.10%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.7K
$7,896 ₱504.8K
123.23%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Albay
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$104 €92.7
$33.24 ₱2,125
212.09%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.20 €41.26
$19.61 ₱1,254
135.59%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$99.7 €89.1
$70.4 ₱4,500
41.66%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$125 €111
$56.3 ₱3,596
121.69%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Albay
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,589 €1,419
$261 ₱16.7K
507.84%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,169 €1,044
$170 ₱10.9K
587.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,851 €2,546
$512 ₱32.7K
457.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,993 €1,780
$351 ₱22.5K
467.48%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,793 €6,960
$2,446 ₱156.4K
218.59%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,418 €3,946
$974 ₱62.3K
353.59%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Albay
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,600 €1,429
$162 ₱10.3K
889.00%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
6.79
-43.30%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Last update for Albay: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Albay
$170 85.5% $999
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$273
Albay
$178 34.7% $95
Eating Out
Lisbon
$247
Albay
$78 68.3% $169
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$215
Albay
$164 23.9% $51
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$168
Albay
$81 52% $88
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$65
Albay
$43 33.9% $22
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Albay
$14 77.7% $49

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,589 in Lisbon and $261 in Albay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays about 9.9 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $17 in Albay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $178 per month, with Albay cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇵🇭 Albay
🕒 Local time
16:04 4:04 PM
00:04 12:04 AM
8 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
179,481
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 0.893 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 63.93 PHP (100 PHP = 1.56 USD). 1 EUR = 71.73 PHP (100 PHP = 1.39 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Albay 12,460 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Albay

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
Lisbon vs Albay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Albay?
Lisbon and Albay differ by about 202% in total monthly costs ($2,202 vs $729 including rent). Albay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Lisbon or Albay?
Average pay in Lisbon is about 9.9 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Lisbon and in Albay?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,589 in Lisbon versus $261 in Albay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 53% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Albay – a meal for two runs $17 versus $62 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
At $729 in Albay versus $2,202 in Lisbon, a $1,200 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.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Albay?
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.
Where should expats move: Lisbon or Albay?
Expats usually find Albay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 67% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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