Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Boracay Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Boracay

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $785 in Boracay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,413 in Boracay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $2,041 in Boracay.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 182% more expensive than Boracay, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Boracay is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$3.13 ₱193

408.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$21.30 ₱1,314

204.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$4.91 ₱303

114.05%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.36 ₱146

21.61%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$1.23 ₱75.8

82.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.28 ₱17.46

435.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$1.30 ₱80.2

168.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$2.11 ₱130

83.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.75 ₱108

-34.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.22 ₱75.1

43.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$0.85 ₱52.4

107.06%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.64 ₱163

21.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.62

$7.83 ₱483

72.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$4.30 ₱266

83.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$7.49 ₱462

111.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.98 ₱184

-22.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.47 ₱90.6

15.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.58 ₱159

-22.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.43 ₱88.3

72.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.76 ₱108

4.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$2.62 ₱162

-23.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.07 ₱66.1

80.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.71 ₱44.01

11.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$3.81 ₱235

73.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$7.95 ₱491

-28.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.15 ₱71.2

19.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.96 ₱121

51.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.36 ₱22.51

558.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.23

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$0.81 ₱49.99

429.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.22 ₱13.57

272.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$2.19 ₱135

735.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.26 ₱77.9

63.49%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$26.4K ₱1.6M

30.00%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$20.5K ₱1.3M

91.75%

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

$148 €127

$114 ₱7,039

29.62%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$8.80 ₱543

133.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.11

$38.04 ₱2,347

4.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.20

$52.2 ₱3,218

-8.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$4.52 ₱279

318.58%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$4.12 ₱254

122.82%

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

$614 €529

$155 ₱9,537

297.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$3,962 ₱244.5K

305.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$46.06 ₱2,842

127.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.22

$26.47 ₱1,633

58.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$76.0 ₱4,689

23.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$53.0 ₱3,269

125.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,402

$269 ₱16.6K

505.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$174 ₱10.8K

619.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$583 ₱35.9K

420.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,740

$758 ₱46.8K

166.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,716

$2,470 ₱152.4K

215.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,679

$983 ₱60.7K

334.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,381

$235 ₱14.5K

583.52%

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 Boracay: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $269 in Boracay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 584% 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 $21.00 in Boracay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $201 per month, with Boracay 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 Boracay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Boracay differ by about 182% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $785 including rent). Boracay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 584% 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 $269 in Boracay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $155 in Boracay. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Boracay – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $65.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $785 in Boracay versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Boracay but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Boracay 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 Boracay 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 Boracay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 182% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.