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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,188 in Makati.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $2,011 in Makati.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $2,833 in Makati.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 93% more expensive than in Makati, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Makati is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$6.53 ₱402

147.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$45.00 ₱2,770

40.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$4.79 ₱295

115.45%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$2.95 ₱181

-4.07%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$1.20 ₱73.8

90.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.58 ₱35.43

172.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$2.34 ₱144

45.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$3.56 ₱219

13.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$2.14 ₱132

-49.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.43 ₱88.1

22.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.11 ₱68.6

58.56%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.33 ₱144

36.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$7.99 ₱492

65.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$4.52 ₱279

76.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$7.71 ₱475

101.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$4.54 ₱279

-47.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.98 ₱122

-13.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$2.72 ₱168

-26.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$2.28 ₱141

6.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$3.45 ₱212

-48.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.80 ₱173

-27.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.14 ₱70.0

68.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.99 ₱60.7

-14.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$2.99 ₱184

120.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$8.01 ₱493

-30.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.25 ₱76.9

6.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.24 ₱138

32.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.51 ₱31.57

347.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

$3.58 ₱220

1179.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$0.76 ₱47.05

456.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.13 ₱8.20

523.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$3.45 ₱212

434.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.15 ₱71.0

80.87%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$34.1K ₱2.1M

1.78%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$22.0K ₱1.4M

77.78%

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

$148 €130

$170 ₱10.4K

-12.74%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$27.66 ₱1,703

-26.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$35.79 ₱2,203

10.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$54.8 ₱3,371

-12.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

$12.03 ₱741

54.61%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$8.20 ₱505

12.44%

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

$616 €539

$324 ₱20.0K

90.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$7,680 ₱472.8K

114.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$58.9 ₱3,628

74.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$35.88 ₱2,209

16.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$84.1 ₱5,174

12.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$124 ₱7,609

-1.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$657 ₱40.4K

148.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$390 ₱24.0K

215.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$2,273 ₱139.9K

36.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$1,008 ₱62.0K

101.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

$6,013 ₱370.2K

30.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

$3,732 ₱229.8K

17.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

$605 ₱37.3K

165.59%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Makati: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $657 in Makati. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 166% 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 $45.00 in Makati for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $235 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 93% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,188 including rent). Makati is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 166% 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 $657 in Makati. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $324 in Makati. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,188 in Makati versus $2,291 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 93% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.