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: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $1,228 in Makati.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $2,025 in Makati.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $2,822 in Makati.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 89% more expensive than in Makati, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Makati is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.93

$6.57 ₱411

163.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.6

$39.99 ₱2,501

58.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.83

$4.59 ₱287

148.15%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.75

$2.76 ₱173

15.58%

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

$2.45 €2.11

$1.07 ₱67.2

128.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.45 ₱28.17

291.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.10

$2.42 ₱151

48.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.93

$3.25 ₱203

4.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.83 ₱115

-32.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.29 ₱80.6

53.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.03 ₱64.3

47.57%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.49

$2.38 ₱149

69.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.68

$7.31 ₱457

85.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.24

$4.84 ₱303

73.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.75

$7.19 ₱449

153.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$3.98 ₱249

-42.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$2.03 ₱127

-14.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$3.26 ₱204

-42.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.27

$2.31 ₱144

13.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$3.47 ₱217

-44.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$3.47 ₱217

-39.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.12 ₱70.0

28.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.11 ₱69.4

-24.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.85

$2.70 ₱169

151.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.93

$7.86 ₱491

-27.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.40 ₱87.4

-1.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$2.08 ₱130

6.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.07

$0.90 ₱56.1

166.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.37

$57.3 ₱3,581

-18.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.60

$0.61 ₱38.09

583.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.21 ₱13.10

442.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.26

$1.88 ₱117

840.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.01

$1.25 ₱78.3

85.60%

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

$35.3K €30.5K

$21.3K ₱1.3M

66.18%

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

$41.4K €35.8K

$19.7K ₱1.2M

110.42%

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

$170 €147

$154 ₱9,611

10.81%

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

$19.34 €16.69

$15.78 ₱987

22.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €29.03

$32.11 ₱2,008

4.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.50

$54.6 ₱3,413

-11.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.17

$14.41 ₱901

38.10%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.56

$7.39 ₱462

34.24%

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

$717 €619

$790 ₱49.4K

-9.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.1K

$7,405 ₱463.0K

136.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.4

$59.8 ₱3,741

75.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.51

$37.65 ₱2,354

24.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.2

$82.2 ₱5,137

25.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$103 ₱6,468

19.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,447

$748 ₱46.8K

124.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,097

$430 ₱26.9K

195.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,575

$2,276 ₱142.3K

31.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,719

$1,080 ₱67.5K

84.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,753

$6,003 ₱375.4K

30.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,019

$3,832 ₱239.6K

21.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,366

$610 ₱38.1K

159.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

7.5

-49.47%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Makati: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $748 in Makati. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 160% 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 $40.00 in Makati for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $231 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 89% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $1,228 including rent). Makati is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 160% 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: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $748 in Makati. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $717 in Lisbon versus $790 in Makati. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,228 in Makati versus $2,316 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 89% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.