Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Palawan

For one person, living is cheaper in Palawan: $784 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $17,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon, Portugal
Palawan, Philippines
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Palawan
🇵🇭 Philippines
$784
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Palawan

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Palawan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $784 in Palawan.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • Palawan $784

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $1,223 in Palawan.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • Palawan $1,223

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $1,661 in Palawan.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • Palawan $1,661

Living in Lisbon is roughly 182% more expensive than in Palawan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 62% above, Palawan is 42% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Palawan
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.87
$3.48 ₱220
378.45%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.2
$19.38 ₱1,228
218.58%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.14
$3.31 ₱210
243.20%
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.65
$2.52 ₱160
17.86%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.04
$0.78 ₱49.38
193.59%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.56
$0.39 ₱25.01
346.15%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.04
$1.31 ₱82.9
159.54%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.96
$2.15 ₱136
53.95%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Palawan
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.03
$1.90 ₱120
-38.95%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.71
$1.22 ₱77.1
56.56%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.35
$1.00 ₱63.3
51.00%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.59
$2.00 ₱127
101.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.56
$7.91 ₱501
63.59%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.94
$4.35 ₱276
78.62%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.86
$7.62 ₱483
133.07%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.06
$2.87 ₱182
-19.86%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.55
$1.58 ₱100
9.49%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.66
$2.62 ₱166
-29.01%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.31
$1.55 ₱98.4
67.10%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.63
$2.24 ₱142
-18.75%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$2.54 ₱161
-22.44%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.31
$1.11 ₱70.1
32.43%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$0.75 ₱47.76
-4.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.88
$2.89 ₱183
127.68%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.01
$6.95 ₱441
-19.28%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$1.17 ₱73.9
16.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.91
$1.98 ₱126
8.08%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Palawan
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 €2.08
$0.26 ₱16.34
796.15%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.68 €39.91
$11.46 ₱727
289.88%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.85 €3.44
$0.81 ₱51.6
375.31%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.96
$0.22 ₱13.93
386.36%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.70
$2.08 ₱132
691.35%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.97
$1.13 ₱71.9
94.69%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.5K
$26.1K ₱1.7M
30.89%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.6K
$20.7K ₱1.3M
86.74%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Palawan
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €144
$112 ₱7,078
44.37%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.44
$33.36 ₱2,115
-44.81%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.24
$27.52 ₱1,744
18.97%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Palawan
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €39.79
$34.20 ₱2,168
30.26%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.06
$4.55 ₱289
319.78%
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.57
$5.96 ₱378
61.07%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Palawan
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €596
$153 ₱9,715
335.62%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.7K
$4,354 ₱276.0K
304.54%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Palawan
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.1
$46.66 ₱2,957
118.65%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.72
$26.57 ₱1,684
67.33%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €88.0
$74.4 ₱4,717
32.39%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €110
$54.1 ₱3,430
128.51%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Palawan
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 €1,437
$263 ₱16.7K
511.00%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,063
$174 ₱11.0K
582.69%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,812 €2,512
$576 ₱36.5K
388.50%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,013 €1,798
$390 ₱24.7K
415.65%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,839 €7,002
$2,321 ₱147.1K
237.69%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,576 €4,087
$1,122 ₱71.1K
307.86%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Palawan
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,407
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
6.67
-42.28%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Palawan: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Palawan
$174 85.4% $1K
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
Palawan
$202 25.7% $70
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
Palawan
$84 65.6% $159
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
Palawan
$173 18.7% $40
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Palawan
$91 45.3% $75
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Palawan
$46 27.6% $18
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Palawan
$14 77.2% $49

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $263 in Palawan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $19 in Palawan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $202 per month, with Palawan cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇵🇭 Palawan
🕒 Local time
07:58 7:58 AM
15:58 3:58 PM
8 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
939,594
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 0.893 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 63.38 PHP (100 PHP = 1.58 USD). 1 EUR = 70.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Palawan 12,390 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Palawan

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Palawan?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $784 in Palawan, so Palawan is about 65% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Lisbon compared to Palawan?
You’d need roughly $3,315 in Lisbon and $1,176 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Lisbon and in Palawan?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $263 in Palawan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Lisbon and Palawan?
Childcare runs $668 in Lisbon versus $153 in Palawan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $1,000 per month?
At $784 in Palawan versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,000 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.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Palawan?
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.
Is Lisbon or Palawan safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Palawan are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Where should expats move: Lisbon or Palawan?
Expats usually find Palawan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 65% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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