Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Lae

For one person, living is cheaper in Lae: $817 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $16,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Lae

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

$817

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Lae

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

A single person spends $2,210 per month in Lisbon vs $817 in Lae, rent included.

Lisbon $2,210
Lae $817

A couple spends around $3,275 per month in Lisbon vs $1,470 in Lae, rent included.

Lisbon $3,275
Lae $1,470

A family of three spends $4,341 per month in Lisbon vs $2,123 in Lae, rent included.

Lisbon $4,341
Lae $2,123

Lisbon costs about 171% more than Lae, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Lisbon sits 62% above the global median, while Lae is 40% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.95

$23.60 PGK 103

-29.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.5

$50.5 PGK 219

22.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.20

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.67

$2.66 PGK 11.57

11.65%

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

$2.29 €2.06

$0.74 PGK 3.23

209.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.56

$0.57 PGK 2.47

205.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.06

$3.22 PGK 14.01

5.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.97

$5.10 PGK 22.13

-35.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.04

$1.98 PGK 8.62

-41.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.72

$1.45 PGK 6.28

31.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.36

$1.24 PGK 5.39

21.77%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.61

$3.96 PGK 17.18

1.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.62

$9.41 PGK 40.86

37.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.98

$9.06 PGK 39.35

-14.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.95

$10.59 PGK 45.99

67.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.07

$4.30 PGK 18.67

-46.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.56

$2.69 PGK 11.68

-35.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.67

$5.87 PGK 25.50

-68.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.33

$1.50 PGK 6.53

72.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.64

$3.37 PGK 14.62

-45.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.77

$2.34 PGK 10.14

-15.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

$0.64 PGK 2.80

129.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

$0.85 PGK 3.70

-15.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.91

$6.75 PGK 29.32

-2.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.04

$12.26 PGK 53.2

-54.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

$2.59 PGK 11.27

-47.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.92

$4.34 PGK 18.87

-50.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.10

$0.31 PGK 1.37

651.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.14

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.46

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.79

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.98

$1.03 PGK 4.46

113.59%

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

$34.2K €30.7K

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

$38.7K €34.8K

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

$161 €145

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

$18.41 €16.54

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.41

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €40.02

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.16

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.62

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

$668 €600

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.6

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.94

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.5

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,445

$436 PGK 1,892

269.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,069

$260 PGK 1,131

356.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,526

$1,227 PGK 5,328

129.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,808

$619 PGK 2,690

225.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,042

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,110

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,415

$156 PGK 676

912.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Lae: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Lae

–

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Lae

–

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

Lae

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Lae

–

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Lae

–

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Lae

–

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Lae

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,608 in Lisbon versus $436 in Lae. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Lisbon are about 10 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Lisbon versus $50 in Lae. Groceries tell a different story – $272 in Lisbon vs $303 in Lae – so Lisbon wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇵🇬 Lae

🕒 Local time

16:45 4:45 PM

02:45 2:45 AM

10 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

250,948

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Papua New Guinean Kina PGK K

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

1 PGK = 0.23 USD

1 PGK = 0.207 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PGK, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

Papua New Guinean Kina exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4.34 PGK (1 PGK = 0.23 USD). 1 EUR = 4.83 PGK (1 PGK = 0.207 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Lisbon Lae 15,730 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Lae

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 Lae: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon costs about 171% more than Lae, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,315 per month in Lisbon and $1,225 in Lae. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lae, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $436 there versus $1,608 in Lisbon.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $817 in Lae. That’s a gap of about 171%.

Interestingly, groceries are about 10% cheaper in Lisbon – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,210 in Lisbon and $817 in Lae. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Lisbon has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $817 in Lae to $2,210 in Lisbon. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Lae. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lisbon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.