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: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $790 in Palawan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,218 in Palawan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $1,645 in Palawan.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 189% more expensive than in Palawan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Palawan is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.64

$3.62 ₱221

335.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.0

$19.71 ₱1,206

222.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.05

$3.39 ₱207

208.26%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.52

$2.53 ₱155

15.02%

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

$2.29 €1.98

$0.78 ₱47.76

193.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.37 ₱22.44

305.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$1.24 ₱76.2

187.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.43

$2.15 ₱131

84.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.86 ₱114

-41.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.27 ₱77.6

38.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$0.94 ₱57.5

80.85%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.81

$2.09 ₱128

55.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.47

$7.95 ₱486

66.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.67

$4.27 ₱261

80.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.66

$7.59 ₱464

107.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$2.96 ₱181

-22.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$1.56 ₱95.8

6.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$2.63 ₱161

-23.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$1.61 ₱98.3

53.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$2.30 ₱141

-22.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$2.53 ₱155

-18.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$1.11 ₱67.7

77.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$0.77 ₱47.02

7.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.68

$2.86 ₱175

129.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.82

$6.78 ₱415

-17.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$1.20 ₱73.7

10.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.60

$2.02 ₱124

49.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$0.26 ₱15.72

773.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.66

$0.81 ₱49.68

422.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.24 ₱14.72

254.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.31

$2.15 ₱131

775.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.13 ₱69.2

78.76%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$26.5K ₱1.6M

32.15%

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

$39.6K €34.3K

$20.7K ₱1.3M

91.66%

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

$148 €128

$114 ₱7,008

29.21%

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

$20.52 €17.77

$32.72 ₱2,003

-37.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.23

$27.08 ₱1,658

45.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.72

$34.46 ₱2,110

39.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

$4.35 ₱266

322.76%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.88

$5.95 ₱364

52.94%

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

$615 €532

$149 ₱9,149

311.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$4,352 ₱266.4K

274.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$45.09 ₱2,760

125.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.45

$26.88 ₱1,645

56.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €79.9

$74.5 ₱4,563

23.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$54.2 ₱3,317

125.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,396

$262 ₱16.1K

514.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,086

$177 ₱10.8K

609.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,658

$598 ₱36.6K

413.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,764

$398 ₱24.3K

412.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,712

$2,386 ₱146.1K

224.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,712

$947 ₱57.9K

352.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,387

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

6.67

-42.88%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Last update for Palawan: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $262 in Palawan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $20.00 in Palawan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $203 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 189% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $790 including rent). Palawan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,420 in Lisbon and $1,185 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: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $262 in Palawan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,280 per month in Lisbon versus $790 in Palawan – a 189% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $790 in Palawan versus $2,280 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 189% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.