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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.
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
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Ambon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.86€15.02
$1.11Rp 20.1K
1418.92%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.0€54.4
$14.28Rp 258.0K
327.45%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$10.98€9.78
$3.83Rp 69.2K
186.68%
Cappuccino
$3.05€2.72
$1.49Rp 26.9K
104.70%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.28€2.03
$0.46Rp 8,342
395.65%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.68€1.50
$0.28Rp 4,980
500.00%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$3.44€3.06
$2.23Rp 40.4K
54.26%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.91€3.48
$3.46Rp 62.6K
13.01%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Ambon
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.15€1.02
$1.03Rp 18.7K
11.65%
White Bread(500g)
$1.89€1.68
$0.98Rp 17.6K
92.86%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.50€1.34
$0.79Rp 14.3K
89.87%
Eggs
$4.12€3.67
$1.37Rp 24.7K
200.73%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$13.01€11.59
$7.18Rp 129.7K
81.20%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$8.04€7.17
$2.85Rp 51.5K
182.11%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$17.89€15.94
$7.47Rp 135.0K
139.49%
Apples(1kg)
$2.27€2.02
$2.18Rp 39.4K
4.13%
Banana(1kg)
$1.74€1.55
$1.31Rp 23.6K
32.82%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.82€1.62
$1.60Rp 28.8K
13.75%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.69€2.39
$1.24Rp 22.4K
116.94%
Potato(1kg)
$1.77€1.57
$1.28Rp 23.1K
38.28%
Onion(1kg)
$1.94€1.73
$1.90Rp 34.4K
2.11%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.46€1.30
$0.80Rp 14.4K
82.50%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.76€0.68
$0.40Rp 7,176
90.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$6.66€5.93
$2.19Rp 39.6K
204.11%
Wine(Bottle)
$5.64€5.02
$20.54Rp 371.3K
-72.54%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.29€1.15
$1.81Rp 32.7K
-28.73%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14€1.91
$2.92Rp 52.8K
-26.71%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Ambon
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$2.30€2.05
$0.25Rp 4,538
820.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$44.02€39.21
$11.45Rp 206.9K
284.45%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.98€3.55
$0.50Rp 9,119
696.00%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.64€0.57
$0.29Rp 5,330
120.69%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$18.93€16.86
$2.71Rp 48.9K
598.52%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$2.28€2.03
$0.80Rp 14.4K
185.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.4K€29.7K
$23.7KRp 428.4M
40.82%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.5K€34.3K
$35.6KRp 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
$55.9Rp 1.0M
182.94%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.54€15.62
$5.62Rp 101.6K
212.10%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.18€27.78
$19.16Rp 346.3K
62.73%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Ambon
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$44.64€39.77
$18.90Rp 341.5K
136.19%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.98€16.91
$7.07Rp 127.7K
168.46%
Cinema Ticket
$9.58€8.53
$1.41Rp 25.5K
579.43%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Ambon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$674€600
$94.9Rp 1.7M
609.78%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$18.7K€16.7K
$8,975Rp 162.2M
108.69%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Ambon
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102€91.0
$43.58Rp 787.6K
134.49%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.90€40.89
$27.84Rp 503.2K
64.87%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$102€91.0
$75.7Rp 1.4M
34.94%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$122€109
$70.6Rp 1.3M
72.70%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Ambon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,641€1,461
$211Rp 3.8M
677.89%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,187€1,058
$124Rp 2.2M
854.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,825€2,516
$612Rp 11.1M
361.82%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$2,018€1,798
$420Rp 7.6M
380.30%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$7,836€6,980
$1,295Rp 23.4M
504.89%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$4,701€4,188
$756Rp 13.7M
521.43%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Ambon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,687€1,503
$121Rp 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.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K 53.8%
Ambon
$124 21.2% ↓ 89.5%$1.1K
🛒Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$275 12.5%
Ambon
$190 32.3% ↓ 30.9%$85
🍽Eating Out
Lisbon
$245 11.1%
Ambon
$59 10.1% ↓ 75.8%$186
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$207 9.4%
Ambon
$81 13.7% ↓ 61%$126
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$168 7.6%
Ambon
$98 16.7% ↓ 41.5%$70
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64 2.9%
Ambon
$22 3.7% ↓ 66%$42
🚌Getting Around
Lisbon
$60 2.7%
Ambon
$14 2.5% ↓ 76.1%$46
🏠Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$2K 46.4%
Ambon
$420 30% ↓ 79.2%$1.6K
🛒Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$655 15.1%
Ambon
$414 29.6% ↓ 36.8%$241
🍽Eating Out
Lisbon
$804 18.5%
Ambon
$182 13% ↓ 77.3%$621
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$224 5.2%
Ambon
$86 6.2% ↓ 61.5%$138
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$372 8.6%
Ambon
$218 15.6% ↓ 41.5%$154
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$147 3.4%
Ambon
$51 3.6% ↓ 65.5%$96
🚌Getting Around
Lisbon
$125 2.9%
Ambon
$29 2.1% ↓ 76.6%$96
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.
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.