Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Ambon

For one person, living is cheaper in Ambon: $588 a month against $2,206 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $19,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon, Portugal
Ambon, Indonesia
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,206
/mo nomad
Ambon
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$588
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Ambon

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 Ambon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,206 in Lisbon versus $588 in Ambon.

  • Lisbon $2,206
  • Ambon $588

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,276 in Lisbon versus $995 in Ambon.

  • Lisbon $3,276
  • Ambon $995

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $1,401 in Ambon.

  • Lisbon $4,346
  • Ambon $1,401

Living in Lisbon is roughly 275% more expensive than in Ambon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 63% above, Ambon is 56% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Ambon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.86 €15.02
$1.11 Rp 20.1K
1418.92%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.0 €54.4
$14.28 Rp 258.0K
327.45%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.98 €9.78
$3.83 Rp 69.2K
186.68%
Cappuccino
$3.05 €2.72
$1.49 Rp 26.9K
104.70%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.28 €2.03
$0.46 Rp 8,342
395.65%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.68 €1.50
$0.28 Rp 4,980
500.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.44 €3.06
$2.23 Rp 40.4K
54.26%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.91 €3.48
$3.46 Rp 62.6K
13.01%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Ambon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.15 €1.02
$1.03 Rp 18.7K
11.65%
White Bread (500g)
$1.89 €1.68
$0.98 Rp 17.6K
92.86%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 €1.34
$0.79 Rp 14.3K
89.87%
Eggs
$4.12 €3.67
$1.37 Rp 24.7K
200.73%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.01 €11.59
$7.18 Rp 129.7K
81.20%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.04 €7.17
$2.85 Rp 51.5K
182.11%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.89 €15.94
$7.47 Rp 135.0K
139.49%
Apples (1kg)
$2.27 €2.02
$2.18 Rp 39.4K
4.13%
Banana (1kg)
$1.74 €1.55
$1.31 Rp 23.6K
32.82%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.82 €1.62
$1.60 Rp 28.8K
13.75%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.69 €2.39
$1.24 Rp 22.4K
116.94%
Potato (1kg)
$1.77 €1.57
$1.28 Rp 23.1K
38.28%
Onion (1kg)
$1.94 €1.73
$1.90 Rp 34.4K
2.11%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.46 €1.30
$0.80 Rp 14.4K
82.50%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.76 €0.68
$0.40 Rp 7,176
90.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.66 €5.93
$2.19 Rp 39.6K
204.11%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.64 €5.02
$20.54 Rp 371.3K
-72.54%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.29 €1.15
$1.81 Rp 32.7K
-28.73%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.91
$2.92 Rp 52.8K
-26.71%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Ambon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.30 €2.05
$0.25 Rp 4,538
820.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.02 €39.21
$11.45 Rp 206.9K
284.45%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.98 €3.55
$0.50 Rp 9,119
696.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.64 €0.57
$0.29 Rp 5,330
120.69%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$18.93 €16.86
$2.71 Rp 48.9K
598.52%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.28 €2.03
$0.80 Rp 14.4K
185.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.4K €29.7K
$23.7K Rp 428.4M
40.82%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.5K €34.3K
$35.6K Rp 642.8M
8.28%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Ambon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$158 €141
$55.9 Rp 1.0M
182.94%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.54 €15.62
$5.62 Rp 101.6K
212.10%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.18 €27.78
$19.16 Rp 346.3K
62.73%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Ambon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.64 €39.77
$18.90 Rp 341.5K
136.19%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.98 €16.91
$7.07 Rp 127.7K
168.46%
Cinema Ticket
$9.58 €8.53
$1.41 Rp 25.5K
579.43%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Ambon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$674 €600
$94.9 Rp 1.7M
609.78%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.7K €16.7K
$8,975 Rp 162.2M
108.69%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Ambon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.0
$43.58 Rp 787.6K
134.49%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.90 €40.89
$27.84 Rp 503.2K
64.87%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$102 €91.0
$75.7 Rp 1.4M
34.94%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$122 €109
$70.6 Rp 1.3M
72.70%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Ambon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,641 €1,461
$211 Rp 3.8M
677.89%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,187 €1,058
$124 Rp 2.2M
854.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,825 €2,516
$612 Rp 11.1M
361.82%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,018 €1,798
$420 Rp 7.6M
380.30%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,836 €6,980
$1,295 Rp 23.4M
504.89%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,701 €4,188
$756 Rp 13.7M
521.43%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Ambon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,687 €1,503
$121 Rp 2.2M
1289.45%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.82
9.45
-59.58%

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

Last update for Lisbon: November 1, 2026

Last update for Ambon: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Ambon
$124 89.5% $1.1K
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$275
Ambon
$190 30.9% $85
Eating Out
Lisbon
$245
Ambon
$59 75.8% $186
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$207
Ambon
$81 61% $126
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$168
Ambon
$98 41.5% $70
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Ambon
$22 66% $42
Getting Around
Lisbon
$60
Ambon
$14 76.1% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,641 in Lisbon and $211 in Ambon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays about 14 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $61 in Lisbon vs $14 in Ambon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $190 per month, with Ambon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇮🇩 Ambon
🕒 Local time
14:50 2:50 PM
23:50 11:50 PM
9 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
275,888
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 0.891 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 18,075 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.53 USD). 1 EUR = 20,311 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.92 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Ambon 14,210 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Ambon

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 Ambon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Lisbon or Ambon?
Ambon wins on cost – living expenses run 73% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Ambon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Lisbon or in Ambon?
Average pay in Lisbon is about 14 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Lisbon compared to Ambon?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,641 in Lisbon versus $211 in Ambon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Lisbon compared to Ambon?
All in, you’ll spend $2,206 per month in Lisbon versus $588 in Ambon – Ambon is about 73% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
How expensive is transport in Lisbon compared to Ambon?
A monthly transit pass in Ambon runs roughly 74% less than in Lisbon. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
Can you live on $800/month in Lisbon or in Ambon?
At $588 in Ambon versus $2,206 in Lisbon, a $800 budget is realistic in Ambon but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Ambon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Lisbon or Ambon?
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.
How safe is Lisbon compared to Ambon?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Ambon are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Ambon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 73% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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