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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $701 in General Santos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,078 in General Santos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,455 in General Santos.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 215% more expensive than General Santos, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, General Santos is 48% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$4.45 ₱275

257.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$10.55 ₱650

513.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$2.84 ₱175

270.07%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.06 ₱127

39.32%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.36 ₱21.95

522.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.30 ₱18.33

400.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$1.13 ₱69.5

208.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$0.91 ₱56.2

326.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.40 ₱86.2

-18.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.93 ₱57.3

88.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$0.85 ₱52.3

107.06%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.06 ₱127

56.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$6.15 ₱379

119.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$3.01 ₱185

162.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$6.38 ₱394

148.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.96 ₱183

-21.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.14 ₱70.6

49.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.30 ₱142

-12.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$0.43 ₱26.29

472.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$0.92 ₱56.9

100.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$3.14 ₱193

-36.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.03 ₱63.7

87.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.60 ₱36.94

31.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$2.17 ₱134

204.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$8.18 ₱504

-30.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.09 ₱67.0

25.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.50 ₱92.6

98.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.34 ₱20.82

597.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$8.93 ₱550

410.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$0.82 ₱50.6

423.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.16 ₱9.83

412.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$1.31 ₱81.0

1296.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.10 ₱67.7

87.27%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$20.6K ₱1.3M

66.57%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$20.5K ₱1.3M

91.62%

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

$148 €127

$74.6 ₱4,601

98.16%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$34.23 ₱2,111

-40.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$36.19 ₱2,231

9.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$33.55 ₱2,069

42.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$1.75 ₱108

981.14%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$3.11 ₱192

195.18%

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

$614 €528

$58.8 ₱3,628

943.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$1,404 ₱86.5K

1043.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$44.99 ₱2,774

132.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$16.05 ₱990

162.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$69.6 ₱4,293

34.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$68.7 ₱4,234

74.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$271 ₱16.7K

501.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$179 ₱11.0K

601.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$584 ₱36.0K

418.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$389 ₱24.0K

419.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

6.5

-41.38%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for General Santos: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $271 in General Santos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $11.00 in General Santos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $166 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 215% 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 $3,315 in Lisbon and $1,052 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $271 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 $11.00 versus $65.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $701 in General Santos – a 215% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $701 in General Santos versus $2,210 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 $701 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 215% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.