Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Calamba

For one person, living is cheaper in Calamba: $518 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $20,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,223
/mo nomad
Calamba
🇵🇭 Philippines
$518
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Calamba

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,223 in Lisbon versus $518 in Calamba.

  • Lisbon $2,223
  • Calamba $518

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,271 in Lisbon versus $764 in Calamba.

  • Lisbon $3,271
  • Calamba $764

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,319 in Lisbon versus $1,010 in Calamba.

  • Lisbon $4,319
  • Calamba $1,010

Living in Lisbon is roughly 329% more expensive than in Calamba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Calamba is 62% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Calamba
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.50 €14.67
$3.92 ₱247
320.92%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.3 €54.5
$12.02 ₱757
409.57%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.27 €10.03
$2.82 ₱178
299.65%
Cappuccino
$3.06 €2.72
$1.79 ₱113
70.95%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 €2.01
$0.56 ₱35.44
303.57%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.73 €1.54
$0.33 ₱21.06
424.24%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.39 €3.02
$0.94 ₱59.5
260.64%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.40 €3.02
$1.55 ₱97.7
119.35%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Calamba
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 €1.00
$1.60 ₱101
-30.00%
White Bread (500g)
$1.86 €1.65
$1.11 ₱70.1
67.57%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.53 €1.36
$0.97 ₱61.0
57.73%
Eggs
$3.96 €3.53
$2.00 ₱126
98.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.76 €11.35
$5.20 ₱327
145.38%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.90 €7.02
$3.40 ₱214
132.35%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.97 €15.09
$7.80 ₱491
117.56%
Apples (1kg)
$2.27 €2.02
$2.31 ₱145
-1.73%
Banana (1kg)
$1.75 €1.55
$1.54 ₱96.9
13.64%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.85 €1.64
$2.40 ₱151
-22.92%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.57 €2.28
$1.06 ₱66.9
142.45%
Potato (1kg)
$1.86 €1.65
$1.73 ₱109
7.51%
Onion (1kg)
$2.02 €1.80
$1.78 ₱112
13.48%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.44 €1.28
$0.61 ₱38.68
136.07%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.82 €0.73
$0.49 ₱31.10
67.35%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.56 €5.83
$2.92 ₱184
124.66%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.62 €5.00
$8.87 ₱558
-36.64%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.28 €1.14
$0.96 ₱60.3
33.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.07 €1.84
$2.10 ₱132
-1.43%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Calamba
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.35 €2.09
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.18 €39.30
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.99 €3.55
$0.82 ₱51.9
386.59%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.09 €0.97
$0.25 ₱15.75
336.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.64 €14.81
$1.88 ₱119
785.11%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.28 €2.03
$0.93 ₱58.7
145.16%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.7K €30.0K
$21.1K ₱1.3M
59.35%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.3K €35.0K
$19.0K ₱1.2M
106.67%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Calamba
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$167 €149
$139 ₱8,759
20.39%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.80 €16.72
$17.36 ₱1,093
8.29%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.09 €29.43
$23.85 ₱1,502
38.74%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Calamba
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.01 €40.93
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.19 €17.07
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.84 €8.75
$5.04 ₱317
95.24%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Calamba
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$677 €602
$130 ₱8,193
420.42%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.9K €15.1K
$10.6K ₱668.9K
59.25%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Calamba
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$101 €90.1
$28.54 ₱1,797
254.73%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.76 €40.70
$19.73 ₱1,242
131.93%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$100.0 €88.9
$71.0 ₱4,468
40.89%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$123 €109
$55.3 ₱3,482
122.03%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Calamba
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,614 €1,436
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,197 €1,065
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,862 €2,545
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,990 €1,770
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,577 €6,740
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,307 €3,831
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Calamba
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,588 €1,412
$260 ₱16.4K
511.06%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
6.75
-42.96%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Last update for Calamba: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Calamba
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$269
Calamba
$175 35.2% $95
Eating Out
Lisbon
$242
Calamba
$73 70% $169
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$219
Calamba
$180 17.8% $39
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Calamba
$79 52.8% $88
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$66
Calamba
$10 * 84.7% $56
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Calamba
$2.1 * 96.7% $61

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Lisbon pays 511% 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: $61.0 in Lisbon vs $12.00 in Calamba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $175 per month, with Calamba cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇵🇭 Calamba
🕒 Local time
14:22 2:22 PM
21:22 9:22 PM
7 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
539,671
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Calamba 12,190 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Calamba

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 Calamba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Lisbon or Calamba?
Calamba wins on cost – living expenses run 329% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Calamba the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Lisbon or in Calamba?
Average pay runs 511% higher in Lisbon, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
Are groceries more expensive in Lisbon or in Calamba?
Supermarket bills run roughly 54% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How much does it cost to live in Lisbon compared to Calamba?
All in, you'll spend $2,223 per month in Lisbon versus $518 in Calamba – a 329% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Lisbon or in Calamba?
At $518 in Calamba versus $2,223 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Calamba but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Calamba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Lisbon or Calamba?
Both work as nomad bases, but Calamba delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $518 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Calamba hard to pass up.
How safe is Lisbon compared to Calamba?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Calamba are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Calamba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 329% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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