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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $871 in Lapu-Lapu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,325 in Lapu-Lapu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,779 in Lapu-Lapu.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 154% more expensive than Lapu-Lapu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Lapu-Lapu is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$4.39 ₱271

262.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$17.85 ₱1,100

262.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$4.40 ₱271

138.86%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.60 ₱160

10.38%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.80 ₱49.56

180.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.45 ₱27.90

233.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$1.51 ₱93.3

131.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$2.11 ₱130

83.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.65 ₱102

-30.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.44 ₱88.6

21.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.07 ₱66.0

64.49%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.30 ₱142

40.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$12.15 ₱749

11.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$5.29 ₱326

49.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$7.60 ₱469

108.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$3.24 ₱200

-28.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.38 ₱85.2

23.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.43 ₱150

-17.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.19 ₱135

12.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$2.25 ₱139

-18.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.85 ₱114

8.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.91 ₱56.4

112.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.83 ₱51.5

-4.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$1.79 ₱110

269.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$3.42 ₱211

67.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.03 ₱63.6

33.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.27 ₱140

30.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.28 ₱17.27

746.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$0.83 ₱51.1

416.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.23 ₱14.17

256.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$2.59 ₱160

606.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.10 ₱68.1

87.27%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$24.6K ₱1.5M

39.26%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$32.6K ₱2.0M

20.71%

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

$148 €127

$98.3 ₱6,059

50.49%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$26.52 ₱1,636

-22.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$29.66 ₱1,829

33.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$43.48 ₱2,681

10.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$1.81 ₱112

945.30%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$5.83 ₱359

57.46%

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

$614 €528

$125 ₱7,727

389.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$1,743 ₱107.5K

820.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$46.92 ₱2,893

123.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$23.05 ₱1,421

82.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$76.7 ₱4,729

22.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$56.2 ₱3,467

112.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$337 ₱20.8K

382.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$243 ₱15.0K

415.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$842 ₱51.9K

260.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$504 ₱31.1K

300.88%

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

$216 ₱13.3K

642.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

-52.37%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Lapu-Lapu: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $337 in Lapu-Lapu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 642% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $18.00 in Lapu-Lapu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $216 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 154% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $871 including rent). Lapu-Lapu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 642% more on average, 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $337 in Lapu-Lapu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $125 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 $18.00 versus $65.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $871 in Lapu-Lapu versus $2,210 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 154% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.