Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Palawan Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Palawan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $801 in Palawan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $1,231 in Palawan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $1,661 in Palawan.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 187% more expensive than in Palawan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Palawan is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.31

$3.52 ₱221

399.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.7

$19.32 ₱1,214

225.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.08

$3.25 ₱204

256.31%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.65 ₱167

16.98%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$0.78 ₱49.27

219.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.39 ₱24.72

346.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$1.24 ₱78.1

180.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$2.16 ₱136

59.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.92 ₱121

-40.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.27 ₱79.7

50.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.03 ₱64.6

45.63%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$2.05 ₱129

94.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.57

$7.85 ₱493

69.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.97

$4.28 ₱269

87.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.70

$7.93 ₱498

127.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$2.98 ₱187

-21.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.52

$1.55 ₱97.6

12.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$2.68 ₱169

-30.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$1.62 ₱102

57.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.60

$2.30 ₱144

-20.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$2.60 ₱164

-19.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.29

$1.07 ₱67.1

39.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.71 ₱44.74

15.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.18

$2.81 ₱177

152.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.14

$6.87 ₱432

-13.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.14

$1.17 ₱73.3

11.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.98 ₱124

7.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$0.28 ₱17.61

742.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.57

$11.56 ₱726

303.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$0.79 ₱49.57

416.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.22 ₱13.81

418.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.88

$2.08 ₱131

721.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.09 ₱68.7

111.93%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$26.1K ₱1.6M

30.80%

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

$41.4K €36.0K

$20.8K ₱1.3M

98.71%

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

$169 €147

$113 ₱7,088

49.40%

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

$19.33 €16.83

$32.31 ₱2,030

-40.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.17

$27.98 ₱1,758

19.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.51

$33.76 ₱2,121

44.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.92

$4.36 ₱274

345.64%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.33

$5.80 ₱364

65.00%

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

$696 €606

$151 ₱9,501

360.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$4,399 ₱276.4K

294.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.7

$45.96 ₱2,887

129.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.56

$26.55 ₱1,668

79.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.5

$76.7 ₱4,821

31.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$53.8 ₱3,380

131.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,446

$265 ₱16.6K

527.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,085

$173 ₱10.9K

619.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,580

$584 ₱36.7K

407.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,783

$393 ₱24.7K

420.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,819

$2,364 ₱148.5K

231.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,886

$1,003 ₱63.0K

345.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,420

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

6.67

-43.33%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Palawan: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $265 in Palawan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $19.00 in Palawan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $204 per month, with Palawan 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 Palawan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Palawan differ by about 187% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $801 including rent). Palawan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,444 in Lisbon and $1,202 in Palawan to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $265 in Palawan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $151 in Palawan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $801 in Palawan versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Palawan but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Palawan 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 Palawan 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 Palawan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 187% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.