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: $2,322 in Lisbon versus $953 in Manila.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,409 in Lisbon versus $1,548 in Manila.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,496 in Lisbon versus $2,143 in Manila.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 144% more expensive than in Manila, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Manila is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.10 €14.63

$5.61 ₱346

204.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.1 €54.8

$26.02 ₱1,604

146.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 €10.02

$4.09 ₱252

186.31%

Cappuccino

$3.14 €2.69

$2.52 ₱155

24.60%

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

$2.51 €2.14

$1.46 ₱90.2

71.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 €1.42

$0.81 ₱50.0

104.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.51 €3.01

$1.19 ₱73.6

194.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 €2.88

$2.73 ₱168

23.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €0.99

$2.00 ₱123

-42.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.02 €1.73

$1.51 ₱93.3

33.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 €1.35

$1.04 ₱64.2

51.92%

Eggs

$4.05 €3.46

$2.30 ₱142

76.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 €10.96

$8.00 ₱493

60.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.02 €6.86

$4.92 ₱303

63.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.03 €14.57

$6.89 ₱425

147.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 €2.03

$3.44 ₱212

-30.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.82 ₱112

0.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$3.14 ₱194

-36.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.67 €2.28

$1.81 ₱112

47.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.63

$2.29 ₱141

-17.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$2.68 ₱165

-26.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 €1.23

$2.05 ₱126

-30.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.78

$0.60 ₱36.86

51.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.84

$3.09 ₱191

120.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.73 €4.90

$9.87 ₱609

-41.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.14

$1.35 ₱83.0

-1.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.83

$2.13 ₱131

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.05

$0.48 ₱29.48

400.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.94 €39.30

$12.82 ₱790

258.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.25 €3.63

$0.85 ₱52.3

400.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 €0.95

$0.24 ₱14.82

362.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.99 €15.39

$1.93 ₱119

832.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.88

$1.28 ₱78.9

71.88%

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

$35.2K €30.1K

$21.7K ₱1.3M

62.12%

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

$40.0K €34.2K

$20.3K ₱1.3M

96.83%

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

$171 €146

$122 ₱7,536

39.97%

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

$19.61 €16.78

$15.72 ₱969

24.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.19 €28.39

$24.31 ₱1,498

36.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.96 €41.02

$44.75 ₱2,759

7.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.88 €17.01

$6.03 ₱372

229.68%

Cinema Ticket

$10.12 €8.66

$7.40 ₱456

36.76%

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

$700 €599

$573 ₱35.3K

22.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €14.8K

$9,198 ₱567.0K

88.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 €93.4

$59.1 ₱3,643

84.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.84 €40.92

$28.46 ₱1,754

68.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €90.9

$78.4 ₱4,834

35.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €108

$59.2 ₱3,649

113.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 €1,461

$546 ₱33.6K

213.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,265 €1,082

$293 ₱18.0K

332.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,973 €2,543

$1,948 ₱120.1K

52.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,000 €1,711

$674 ₱41.6K

196.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,013 €6,855

$4,284 ₱264.1K

87.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,525 €3,871

$2,542 ₱156.7K

78.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,663 €1,422

$469 ₱28.9K

254.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.73

7.43

-49.80%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 15, 2026

Last update for Manila: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,708 in Lisbon and $546 in Manila. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 254% 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: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $26.00 in Manila for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $226 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 144% in total monthly costs ($2,322 vs $953 including rent). Manila is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 254% 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: $1,708 in Lisbon versus $546 in Manila. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $700 in Lisbon versus $573 in Manila. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $953 in Manila versus $2,322 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 144% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.