Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Mandaue

For one person, living is cheaper in Mandaue: $826 a month against $2,202 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $16,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,202
/mo nomad
Mandaue
🇵🇭 Philippines
$826
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Mandaue

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Mandaue actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,202 in Lisbon versus $826 in Mandaue.

  • Lisbon $2,202
  • Mandaue $826

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,274 in Lisbon versus $1,204 in Mandaue.

  • Lisbon $3,274
  • Mandaue $1,204

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $1,582 in Mandaue.

  • Lisbon $4,346
  • Mandaue $1,582

Living in Lisbon is roughly 166% more expensive than in Mandaue, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 62% above, Mandaue is 39% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Mandaue
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.04 €15.15
$3.03 ₱191
462.38%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$62.3 €55.4
$23.94 ₱1,507
160.19%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.02 €9.80
$4.10 ₱258
168.78%
Cappuccino
$3.12 €2.78
$2.59 ₱163
20.46%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.27 €2.02
$0.63 ₱39.56
260.32%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.55
$0.48 ₱30.52
262.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.42 €3.04
$1.72 ₱109
98.84%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.74 €3.33
$2.21 ₱139
69.23%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Mandaue
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.17 €1.04
$1.86 ₱117
-37.10%
White Bread (500g)
$1.86 €1.66
$1.16 ₱73.3
60.34%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.54 €1.37
$0.98 ₱61.5
57.14%
Eggs
$4.06 €3.61
$1.96 ₱124
107.14%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.91 €11.49
$10.17 ₱640
26.94%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.90 €7.03
$4.61 ₱290
71.37%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.64 €15.69
$7.53 ₱474
134.26%
Apples (1kg)
$2.26 €2.01
$3.47 ₱219
-34.87%
Banana (1kg)
$1.75 €1.55
$1.46 ₱91.8
19.86%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.89 €1.68
$2.37 ₱149
-20.25%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.56 €2.27
$1.49 ₱93.9
71.81%
Potato (1kg)
$1.85 €1.64
$2.43 ₱153
-23.87%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.75
$1.95 ₱123
1.03%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.45 €1.29
$1.18 ₱74.4
22.88%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 €0.69
$0.68 ₱42.88
13.24%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.71 €5.97
$2.44 ₱154
175.00%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.67 €5.04
$6.28 ₱396
-9.71%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.37 €1.22
$1.25 ₱78.4
9.60%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.11 €1.88
$1.65 ₱104
27.88%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Mandaue
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.32 €2.07
$0.26 ₱16.51
792.31%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.43 €39.52
$11.02 ₱694
303.18%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.95 €3.51
$0.80 ₱50.1
393.75%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.05 €0.93
$0.21 ₱13.19
400.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$17.15 €15.26
$1.86 ₱117
822.04%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.19 €1.95
$1.32 ₱83.2
65.91%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.8K €30.0K
$21.8K ₱1.4M
55.22%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.3K €34.0K
$19.4K ₱1.2M
97.03%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Mandaue
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$164 €146
$98.1 ₱6,173
67.07%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.48 €16.43
$14.39 ₱906
28.42%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.96 €29.32
$27.74 ₱1,747
18.82%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Mandaue
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.87 €40.80
$31.94 ₱2,011
43.61%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.68 €16.61
$4.77 ₱301
291.61%
Cinema Ticket
$9.75 €8.67
$5.52 ₱348
76.63%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Mandaue
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$684 €608
$132 ₱8,303
418.73%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.7K
$8,157 ₱513.6K
116.08%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Mandaue
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$104 €92.3
$32.92 ₱2,073
215.13%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.20 €41.09
$19.64 ₱1,236
135.23%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$99.7 €88.7
$76.1 ₱4,788
31.14%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$125 €111
$57.7 ₱3,631
116.23%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Mandaue
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,589 €1,414
$265 ₱16.7K
500.81%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,169 €1,040
$253 ₱15.9K
362.76%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,851 €2,536
$755 ₱47.5K
277.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,993 €1,773
$349 ₱22.0K
470.68%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,793 €6,932
$2,428 ₱152.9K
220.91%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,418 €3,930
$1,003 ₱63.2K
340.44%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Mandaue
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,600 €1,423
$236 ₱14.9K
578.10%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
7.2
-46.53%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Last update for Mandaue: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Mandaue
$253 78.4% $916
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$273
Mandaue
$207 24% $66
Eating Out
Lisbon
$247
Mandaue
$85 65.6% $162
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$215
Mandaue
$140 34.9% $75
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$168
Mandaue
$84 50.2% $85
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$65
Mandaue
$43 34.3% $22
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Mandaue
$14 77.9% $49

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,589 in Lisbon and $265 in Mandaue. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 578% 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: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $24.00 in Mandaue for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $207 per month, with Mandaue cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇵🇭 Mandaue
🕒 Local time
13:29 1:29 PM
20:29 8:29 PM
7 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
364,116
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Mandaue 12,710 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Mandaue

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Mandaue: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Mandaue?
Lisbon and Mandaue differ by about 166% in total monthly costs ($2,202 vs $826 including rent). Mandaue is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Lisbon or Mandaue?
Average pay runs 578% higher in Lisbon, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Lisbon and in Mandaue?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,589 in Lisbon versus $265 in Mandaue. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Lisbon and Mandaue?
Childcare runs $684 in Lisbon versus $132 in Mandaue. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $1,000 per month?
At $826 in Mandaue versus $2,202 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Mandaue but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Mandaue the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Mandaue?
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.
Is Lisbon or Mandaue safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Mandaue are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Lisbon or Mandaue?
Expats usually find Mandaue gentler on the wallet – expenses run 166% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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