Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Lucena Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Lucena

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $487 in Lucena.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $848 in Lucena.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,208 in Lucena.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 354% more expensive than Lucena, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Lucena is 64% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$1.65 ₱102

864.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$9.04 ₱557

616.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$1.82 ₱112

477.47%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$1.06 ₱65.5

170.75%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.67 ₱41.13

234.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.35 ₱21.33

328.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$1.00 ₱61.6

249.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$1.44 ₱89.1

169.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.68 ₱104

-32.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.26 ₱77.7

38.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$0.94 ₱57.7

87.23%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.02 ₱124

59.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$7.00 ₱432

92.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$1.46 ₱90.2

441.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$2.74 ₱169

479.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$0.87 ₱53.8

165.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.03 ₱63.6

65.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$0.91 ₱56.4

120.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$0.69 ₱42.82

256.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.04 ₱64.3

76.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.17 ₱72.0

70.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.27 ₱78.3

51.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.70 ₱42.91

12.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$3.15 ₱194

109.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$7.42 ₱457

-22.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.63 ₱100

-15.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$0.93 ₱57.1

219.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.29 ₱17.61

717.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$0.76 ₱47.06

464.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.25 ₱15.27

228.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$2.09 ₱129

775.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.10 ₱67.6

87.27%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$26.1K ₱1.6M

31.18%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$20.7K ₱1.3M

89.62%

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

$148 €127

$62.4 ₱3,847

137.05%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$7.24 ₱447

183.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$12.53 ₱772

216.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$34.43 ₱2,123

38.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$6.99 ₱431

31.33%

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

$614 €528

$81.3 ₱5,015

654.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$2,829 ₱174.5K

467.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$32.39 ₱1,997

223.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$29.34 ₱1,809

43.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$53.7 ₱3,310

75.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$92.8 ₱5,724

28.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$131 ₱8,084

1141.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$79.3 ₱4,891

1482.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$597 ₱36.8K

407.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$391 ₱24.1K

416.07%

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

$321 ₱19.8K

399.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

8.13

-53.14%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Lucena: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $131 in Lucena. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 400% 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 $9.00 in Lucena for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $139 per month, with Lucena 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 Lucena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Lucena differ by about 354% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $487 including rent). Lucena is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 400% 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 $131 in Lucena. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 94% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $487 in Lucena – a 354% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $487 in Lucena versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lucena but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Lucena 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 Lucena 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 Lucena gentler on the wallet – expenses run 354% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.