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: $2,217 in Lisbon versus $778 in Palawan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,245 in Lisbon versus $1,198 in Palawan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,272 in Lisbon versus $1,617 in Palawan.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 185% more expensive than Palawan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Palawan is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.78 €13.59

$3.52 ₱212

348.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.5 €53.8

$19.48 ₱1,173

220.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 €9.07

$3.29 ₱198

220.36%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.38

$2.63 ₱159

5.32%

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

$2.28 €1.97

$0.81 ₱48.82

181.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.33

$0.36 ₱21.83

330.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.55 €3.05

$1.26 ₱75.7

181.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 €3.43

$2.18 ₱131

82.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.89 ₱114

-42.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.20 ₱72.5

47.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.02 ₱61.4

73.53%

Eggs

$3.12 €2.69

$2.00 ₱121

56.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.34 €11.49

$8.08 ₱487

65.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.88

$4.15 ₱250

92.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.92 €13.70

$7.91 ₱476

101.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$2.87 ₱173

-20.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.42

$1.51 ₱91.2

8.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 €1.70

$2.66 ₱160

-25.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.61 ₱97.3

52.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.52

$2.21 ₱133

-19.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$2.55 ₱154

-22.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.08 ₱64.8

82.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.77 ₱46.09

3.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.54 €5.63

$2.86 ₱172

128.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.75 €4.95

$6.69 ₱403

-14.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 €1.13

$1.21 ₱73.1

9.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 €2.57

$1.96 ₱118

52.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.34 €2.01

$0.28 ₱16.96

735.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.85 €39.48

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.26 €3.66

$0.84 ₱50.5

407.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.22 ₱13.20

281.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.86 €16.24

$2.09 ₱126

802.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.13 ₱68.1

83.19%

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

$35.2K €30.3K

$26.6K ₱1.6M

32.25%

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

$38.6K €33.2K

$20.8K ₱1.3M

85.82%

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

$151 €130

$111 ₱6,691

36.03%

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

$20.91 €18.00

$32.52 ₱1,958

-35.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.54 €34.05

$27.29 ₱1,643

44.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.39 €41.67

$34.17 ₱2,058

41.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.61 €16.02

$4.45 ₱268

318.20%

Cinema Ticket

$9.04 €7.79

$5.78 ₱348

56.40%

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

$610 €525

$152 ₱9,137

302.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$4,295 ₱258.7K

278.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €87.2

$46.52 ₱2,802

117.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.58 €34.94

$26.48 ₱1,595

53.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.0 €80.1

$76.3 ₱4,594

21.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$53.0 ₱3,190

123.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,603 €1,380

$262 ₱15.8K

512.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,239 €1,067

$179 ₱10.8K

591.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,019 €2,599

$584 ₱35.2K

416.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,061 €1,775

$389 ₱23.4K

430.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,981 €6,872

$2,314 ₱139.3K

244.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,533 €3,903

$969 ₱58.4K

367.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,628 €1,402

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: June 15, 2026

Last update for Palawan: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,603 in Lisbon and $262 in Palawan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $19.00 in Palawan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $202 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 185% in total monthly costs ($2,217 vs $778 including rent). Palawan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,325 in Lisbon and $1,168 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: $1,603 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 32% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,217 per month in Lisbon versus $778 in Palawan – a 185% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $778 in Palawan versus $2,217 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 185% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.