Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and General Santos Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and General Santos

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $618 in General Santos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $1,007 in General Santos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $1,396 in General Santos.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 275% more expensive than in General Santos, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, General Santos is 55% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.93

$3.42 ₱214

405.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.6

$27.30 ₱1,707

131.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.83

$2.76 ₱173

312.68%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.75

$2.61 ₱163

22.22%

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

$2.45 €2.11

$0.30 ₱18.85

716.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.25 ₱15.70

604.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.10

$1.58 ₱99.1

127.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.93

$2.36 ₱147

43.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$2.01 ₱126

-38.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.13 ₱70.9

75.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$0.88 ₱54.9

72.73%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.49

$1.94 ₱121

108.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.68

$6.62 ₱414

104.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.24

$4.15 ₱260

102.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.75

$8.73 ₱546

109.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$2.69 ₱168

-14.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.12 ₱70.0

55.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$2.33 ₱146

-20.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.27

$1.21 ₱75.7

117.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$2.08 ₱130

-7.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$3.10 ₱194

-32.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.20 ₱74.7

20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.66 ₱41.43

27.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.85

$2.41 ₱151

181.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.93

$8.05 ₱503

-29.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.26 ₱78.8

9.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$1.60 ₱99.9

38.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.07

$0.41 ₱25.86

485.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.37

$8.20 ₱513

470.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.60

$0.83 ₱52.1

402.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.23 ₱14.37

395.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.26

$0.83 ₱52.0

2030.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.01

$1.07 ₱66.7

116.82%

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

$35.3K €30.5K

$20.8K ₱1.3M

69.71%

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

$41.4K €35.8K

$18.7K ₱1.2M

121.96%

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

$170 €147

$75.1 ₱4,696

126.80%

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

$19.34 €16.69

$6.50 ₱406

197.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €29.03

$31.86 ₱1,992

5.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.50

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.17

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.56

$4.73 ₱296

109.73%

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

$717 €619

$108 ₱6,772

562.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.1K

$7,671 ₱479.7K

127.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.4

$62.3 ₱3,896

68.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.51

$26.97 ₱1,686

74.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.2

$71.2 ₱4,454

45.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$61.1 ₱3,822

102.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,447

$178 ₱11.1K

842.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,097

$112 ₱6,973

1039.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,575

$367 ₱23.0K

712.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,719

$241 ₱15.1K

726.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,753

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,019

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,366

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

8.31

-54.39%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for General Santos: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $178 in General Santos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $27.00 in General Santos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $196 per month, with General Santos 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 General Santos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

General Santos wins on cost – living expenses run 275% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making General Santos the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,474 in Lisbon and $927 in General Santos to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $178 in General Santos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in General Santos – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,316 per month in Lisbon versus $618 in General Santos – a 275% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $618 in General Santos versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in General Santos but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes General Santos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but General Santos delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $618 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes General Santos hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and General Santos 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 General Santos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 275% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.