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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $488 in Lucena.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $859 in Lucena.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,230 in Lucena.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 369% more expensive than in Lucena, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Lucena is 63% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$1.65 ₱102

881.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$8.80 ₱542

619.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$1.89 ₱116

446.03%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$1.07 ₱65.8

164.49%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$0.67 ₱41.29

241.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.35 ₱21.39

351.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$0.93 ₱57.0

265.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$1.46 ₱90.0

176.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.67 ₱103

-34.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.27 ₱78.0

37.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.88 ₱54.3

100.00%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$1.99 ₱123

59.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$7.06 ₱435

86.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$1.38 ₱85.2

477.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$2.61 ₱161

495.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$0.93 ₱57.3

154.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.07 ₱66.1

59.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$0.85 ₱52.5

136.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$0.73 ₱44.69

232.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.09 ₱67.0

61.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.12 ₱68.8

81.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.21 ₱74.7

58.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.73 ₱45.02

16.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$3.09 ₱191

112.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$7.73 ₱476

-27.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.53 ₱94.5

-13.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$0.87 ₱53.8

241.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.29 ₱17.82

686.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$0.78 ₱47.75

442.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.27 ₱16.75

200.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$2.18 ₱134

745.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.15 ₱70.5

80.87%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$25.4K ₱1.6M

36.60%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$20.2K ₱1.2M

93.95%

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

$148 €130

$62.5 ₱3,848

136.84%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$7.25 ₱446

182.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$12.64 ₱778

212.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$33.56 ₱2,066

43.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

$4.49 ₱277

314.25%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$7.04 ₱433

30.97%

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

$616 €539

$82.3 ₱5,068

648.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$2,736 ₱168.4K

500.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$31.71 ₱1,952

223.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$29.11 ₱1,792

43.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$53.5 ₱3,293

77.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$95.5 ₱5,881

27.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$131 ₱8,094

1141.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$78.8 ₱4,849

1464.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$591 ₱36.4K

424.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$399 ₱24.5K

409.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

$2,119 ₱130.4K

269.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

$1,072 ₱66.0K

309.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

$323 ₱19.9K

397.33%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Lucena: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $131 in Lucena. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 397% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $9.00 in Lucena for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 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 369% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $488 including rent). Lucena is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 397% 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: $1,633 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 92% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,291 per month in Lisbon versus $488 in Lucena – a 369% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $488 in Lucena versus $2,291 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 369% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.