Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Makati Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Makati

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,232 in Makati.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $2,009 in Makati.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $2,786 in Makati.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 79% more expensive than Makati, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Makati is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$6.80 ₱419

133.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$45.15 ₱2,784

43.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$4.93 ₱304

113.18%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.87 ₱177

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

$2.24 €1.93

$1.19 ₱73.5

88.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.56 ₱34.76

167.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$2.44 ₱151

43.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$3.66 ₱225

6.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$2.14 ₱132

-46.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.43 ₱88.4

22.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.08 ₱66.5

62.96%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.34 ₱144

37.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$8.16 ₱503

65.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$4.43 ₱273

78.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$7.64 ₱471

107.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$4.57 ₱282

-49.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.92 ₱118

-11.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.70 ₱166

-25.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.25 ₱139

9.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$3.29 ₱203

-44.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$2.86 ₱177

-30.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.08 ₱66.8

78.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.99 ₱61.3

-20.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$2.94 ₱181

124.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$8.28 ₱511

-30.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.20 ₱74.1

14.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.34 ₱144

26.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.51 ₱31.71

364.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$3.58 ₱221

1172.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$0.81 ₱50.0

429.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.12 ₱7.44

583.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$3.58 ₱221

411.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.10 ₱67.8

87.27%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$34.3K ₱2.1M

0.01%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$21.5K ₱1.3M

82.78%

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

$148 €127

$172 ₱10.6K

-14.04%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$26.94 ₱1,661

-23.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$36.49 ₱2,250

8.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$56.0 ₱3,452

-14.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$11.79 ₱727

60.47%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$7.90 ₱487

16.20%

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

$614 €528

$321 ₱19.8K

91.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$7,538 ₱464.8K

112.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$60.3 ₱3,717

73.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$35.62 ₱2,197

18.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$85.6 ₱5,277

9.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$122 ₱7,516

-1.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$666 ₱41.1K

144.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$390 ₱24.0K

221.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$2,260 ₱139.4K

34.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$1,024 ₱63.1K

97.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$6,010 ₱370.6K

29.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$3,852 ₱237.5K

10.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$682 ₱42.0K

135.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

6.67

-42.88%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Makati: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $666 in Makati. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 135% 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 $45.00 in Makati for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $234 per month, with Makati 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 Makati: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Makati differ by about 79% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,232 including rent). Makati is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 135% 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 $666 in Makati. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $321 in Makati. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Makati versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Makati but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Makati 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 Makati 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 Makati gentler on the wallet – expenses run 79% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.