Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Lapu-Lapu Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Lapu-Lapu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $848 in Lapu-Lapu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,189 in Lapu-Lapu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $1,531 in Lapu-Lapu.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 168% more expensive than in Lapu-Lapu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Lapu-Lapu is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$2.97 ₱186

490.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$16.06 ₱1,007

301.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$3.94 ₱247

195.69%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$2.50 ₱157

30.40%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$0.53 ₱33.38

369.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.35 ₱22.24

377.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$1.32 ₱82.5

162.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$2.20 ₱138

62.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.69 ₱106

-30.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.35 ₱84.5

44.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.01 ₱63.5

54.46%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$2.02 ₱127

98.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$5.62 ₱352

136.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$4.47 ₱280

88.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$7.63 ₱479

138.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$3.47 ₱218

-33.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.41 ₱88.4

22.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$2.40 ₱150

-19.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.48 ₱93.0

78.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$2.39 ₱150

-20.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.91 ₱120

10.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.23 ₱76.8

17.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.68 ₱42.51

17.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$1.57 ₱98.3

346.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$3.87 ₱243

52.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.05 ₱65.6

29.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.51 ₱94.6

42.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.23 ₱14.30

934.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$0.76 ₱47.62

451.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$0.23 ₱14.46

378.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$3.86 ₱242

347.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.23 ₱77.3

82.93%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$21.3K ₱1.3M

61.51%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$19.3K ₱1.2M

115.95%

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

$171 €147

$120 ₱7,528

42.32%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$14.77 ₱926

28.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$28.03 ₱1,757

22.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$12.58 ₱789

294.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$5.74 ₱360

75.96%

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

$699 €603

$105 ₱6,561

568.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$8,012 ₱502.3K

121.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$49.64 ₱3,112

110.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$25.43 ₱1,594

88.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$23.81 ₱1,492

327.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$57.2 ₱3,585

124.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$444 ₱27.8K

274.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$316 ₱19.8K

288.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$1,229 ₱77.1K

137.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$487 ₱30.5K

315.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$228 ₱14.3K

611.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

7.2

-47.50%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Lapu-Lapu: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $444 in Lapu-Lapu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 611% 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: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $16.00 in Lapu-Lapu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $187 per month, with Lapu-Lapu 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 Lapu-Lapu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Lapu-Lapu differ by about 168% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $848 including rent). Lapu-Lapu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 611% higher in Lisbon, 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $444 in Lapu-Lapu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $105 in Lapu-Lapu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Lapu-Lapu – a meal for two runs $16.00 versus $64.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $848 in Lapu-Lapu versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lapu-Lapu but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Lapu-Lapu 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 Lapu-Lapu 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 Lapu-Lapu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 168% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.