Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Manila Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Manila

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,217 in Lisbon versus $957 in Manila.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,245 in Lisbon versus $1,543 in Manila.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,272 in Lisbon versus $2,130 in Manila.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 132% more expensive than in Manila, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Manila is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.78 €13.77

$5.22 ₱316

202.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.5 €54.5

$26.52 ₱1,605

135.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 €9.19

$4.38 ₱265

140.64%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.41

$2.72 ₱164

1.84%

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

$2.28 €1.99

$0.93 ₱56.1

145.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.35

$0.51 ₱30.79

203.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.55 €3.09

$1.52 ₱92.2

133.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 €3.47

$2.71 ₱164

46.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.95 ₱118

-44.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.54

$1.36 ₱82.3

30.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 €1.54

$1.09 ₱65.9

62.39%

Eggs

$3.12 €2.72

$2.10 ₱127

48.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.34 €11.64

$9.46 ₱573

41.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.98

$5.24 ₱318

52.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.92 €13.89

$8.78 ₱532

81.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.99

$3.40 ₱206

-32.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.43

$1.77 ₱107

-7.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$3.48 ₱211

-43.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 €2.14

$2.41 ₱146

1.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.54

$2.67 ₱162

-33.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.72

$3.15 ₱191

-37.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.72

$2.02 ₱123

-2.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.70

$0.69 ₱41.77

15.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.54 €5.70

$3.35 ₱203

95.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.75 €5.01

$10.03 ₱607

-42.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 €1.15

$1.46 ₱88.4

-9.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 €2.60

$2.14 ₱129

39.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.34 €2.04

$0.52 ₱31.19

350.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.85 €40.01

$12.01 ₱727

281.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.26 €3.71

$0.92 ₱55.4

363.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 €0.74

$0.27 ₱16.41

211.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.86 €16.45

$2.18 ₱132

765.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.81

$1.16 ₱69.9

78.45%

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

$35.2K €30.8K

$26.8K ₱1.6M

31.35%

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

$38.6K €33.7K

$23.1K ₱1.4M

67.19%

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

$151 €132

$134 ₱8,101

12.95%

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

$20.91 €18.24

$22.30 ₱1,350

-6.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.54 €34.50

$26.94 ₱1,631

46.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.39 €42.22

$42.13 ₱2,550

14.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.61 €16.24

$6.77 ₱410

174.89%

Cinema Ticket

$9.04 €7.89

$6.57 ₱398

37.60%

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

$610 €532

$354 ₱21.4K

72.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.2K

$11.2K ₱678.6K

45.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €88.3

$47.31 ₱2,864

113.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.58 €35.41

$34.90 ₱2,113

16.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.0 €81.2

$82.5 ₱4,992

12.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$46.21 ₱2,798

156.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,603 €1,398

$500 ₱30.3K

220.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,239 €1,081

$272 ₱16.5K

355.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,019 €2,634

$1,716 ₱103.9K

75.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,061 €1,798

$631 ₱38.2K

226.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,981 €6,963

$4,360 ₱264.0K

83.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,533 €3,955

$2,599 ₱157.4K

74.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,628 €1,421

$516 ₱31.2K

215.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

7.52

-49.34%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 15, 2026

Last update for Manila: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,603 in Lisbon and $500 in Manila. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 216% 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 $27.00 in Manila for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $243 per month, with Manila 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 Manila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Manila differ by about 132% in total monthly costs ($2,217 vs $957 including rent). Manila is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 216% 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: $1,603 in Lisbon versus $500 in Manila. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $610 in Lisbon versus $354 in Manila. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $957 in Manila versus $2,217 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Manila but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Manila 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 Manila 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 Manila gentler on the wallet – expenses run 132% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.