Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Mandaue Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Mandaue

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $842 in Mandaue.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $1,202 in Mandaue.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $1,562 in Mandaue.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 175% more expensive than in Mandaue, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Mandaue is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.87

$3.12 ₱195

454.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$23.01 ₱1,439

174.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.79

$3.90 ₱244

192.05%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.74

$2.51 ₱157

27.09%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$0.59 ₱36.76

315.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.50 ₱31.03

252.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$1.78 ₱111

101.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$2.20 ₱138

54.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.94 ₱122

-36.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.19 ₱74.4

66.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$0.92 ₱57.7

65.22%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.47

$2.06 ₱129

96.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.64

$9.95 ₱622

36.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.21

$4.46 ₱279

88.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.69

$7.39 ₱462

146.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$3.31 ₱207

-30.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.47 ₱91.9

18.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$2.42 ₱151

-23.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$1.55 ₱97.0

69.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$2.36 ₱147

-18.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$1.89 ₱118

10.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.20 ₱74.9

20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$0.63 ₱39.13

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$2.47 ₱154

174.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$6.37 ₱399

-10.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.24 ₱77.3

11.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$1.69 ₱105

31.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$0.24 ₱14.86

900.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.22

$10.58 ₱661

342.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$0.78 ₱49.01

434.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.21 ₱13.09

442.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.20

$1.94 ₱121

811.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.27 ₱79.2

82.68%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$21.3K ₱1.3M

66.21%

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

$41.4K €35.6K

$19.7K ₱1.2M

110.01%

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

$170 €146

$99.6 ₱6,229

71.00%

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

$19.34 €16.62

$14.83 ₱927

30.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.92

$28.47 ₱1,781

18.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.35

$31.87 ₱1,993

50.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.11

$5.02 ₱314

296.41%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.53

$5.69 ₱356

74.34%

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

$717 €617

$136 ₱8,512

427.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$8,067 ₱504.5K

116.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$32.04 ₱2,004

226.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.36

$19.34 ₱1,210

142.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €88.9

$78.5 ₱4,911

31.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$58.8 ₱3,674

110.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,441

$440 ₱27.5K

281.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,093

$252 ₱15.8K

403.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,566

$754 ₱47.1K

296.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,713

$356 ₱22.2K

460.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,728

$2,943 ₱184.0K

165.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,004

$1,157 ₱72.4K

302.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,361

$244 ₱15.3K

547.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

7.2

-47.36%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Mandaue: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $440 in Mandaue. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 548% 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 $23.00 in Mandaue for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $206 per month, with Mandaue 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 Mandaue: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Mandaue differ by about 175% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $842 including rent). Mandaue is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 548% 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 $440 in Mandaue. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $717 in Lisbon versus $136 in Mandaue. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $842 in Mandaue versus $2,316 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.

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 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.

Expats usually find Mandaue gentler on the wallet – expenses run 175% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.