Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Mambajao Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Mambajao

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $500 in Mambajao.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $801 in Mambajao.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $1,101 in Mambajao.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 363% more expensive than in Mambajao, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Mambajao is 64% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.93

$1.38 ₱86.5

1153.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.6

$15.73 ₱984

302.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.83

$3.43 ₱214

232.07%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.75

$2.24 ₱140

42.41%

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

$2.45 €2.11

$0.41 ₱25.73

497.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.29 ₱18.36

506.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.10

$0.99 ₱61.6

262.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.93

$1.13 ₱70.8

200.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$0.87 ₱54.2

42.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$0.61 ₱38.32

224.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$0.70 ₱43.85

117.14%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.49

$1.21 ₱76.0

233.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.68

$6.03 ₱377

124.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.24

$4.08 ₱255

105.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.75

$5.61 ₱351

225.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$2.38 ₱149

-3.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.65 ₱103

5.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$2.55 ₱160

-27.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.27

$1.12 ₱70.1

134.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.29 ₱80.8

48.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$1.78 ₱111

17.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.74 ₱46.34

94.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.53 ₱33.15

58.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.85

$2.76 ₱172

145.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.93

$8.12 ₱508

-29.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$0.98 ₱61.4

40.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$1.19 ₱74.4

86.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.07

$0.17 ₱10.84

1311.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.37

$12.53 ₱784

273.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.60

$0.72 ₱45.18

479.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.22 ₱13.56

418.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.26

$2.12 ₱133

733.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.01

$1.27 ₱79.6

82.68%

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

$35.3K €30.5K

$20.0K ₱1.2M

76.87%

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

$41.4K €35.8K

$22.1K ₱1.4M

87.87%

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

$170 €147

$63.2 ₱3,952

169.51%

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

$19.34 €16.69

$14.83 ₱927

30.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €29.03

$19.82 ₱1,239

69.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.50

$34.74 ₱2,173

38.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.17

$5.23 ₱327

280.50%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.56

$5.45 ₱340

82.02%

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

$717 €619

$114 ₱7,152

527.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.1K

$8,918 ₱557.6K

95.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.4

$30.41 ₱1,902

244.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.51

$18.56 ₱1,160

152.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.2

$74.0 ₱4,624

39.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$61.9 ₱3,871

100.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,447

$99.9 ₱6,243

1579.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,097

$55.9 ₱3,492

2175.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,575

$238 ₱14.9K

1154.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,719

$160 ₱10.0K

1142.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,753

$2,782 ₱174.0K

181.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,019

$1,092 ₱68.3K

326.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,366

$151 ₱9,469

945.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

6.75

-43.85%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Mambajao: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $99.9 in Mambajao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 945% 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 $16.00 in Mambajao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $156 per month, with Mambajao 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 Mambajao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Mambajao differ by about 363% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $500 including rent). Mambajao is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 945% 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 $99.9 in Mambajao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $717 in Lisbon versus $114 in Mambajao. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 82% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $500 in Mambajao versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Mambajao but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Mambajao 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 Mambajao 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 Mambajao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 363% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.