Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Philipsburg Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Philipsburg

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $3,160 in Philipsburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $5,809 in Philipsburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $8,458 in Philipsburg.

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 28% less than in Philipsburg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Philipsburg 137% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.64

$15.11 ANG 26.98

4.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.0

$76.0 ANG 136

-16.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.05

$8.22 ANG 14.68

27.13%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.52

$4.25 ANG 7.58

-31.53%

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

$2.29 €1.98

$2.93 ANG 5.22

-21.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$3.72 ANG 6.64

-59.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$2.97 ANG 5.30

19.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.43

$4.97 ANG 8.88

-20.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$2.93 ANG 5.23

-63.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$3.19 ANG 5.69

-44.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$2.94 ANG 5.26

-42.18%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.81

$6.33 ANG 11.31

-48.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.47

$18.26 ANG 32.59

-27.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.67

$16.79 ANG 29.98

-54.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.66

$19.40 ANG 34.62

-18.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$5.90 ANG 10.54

-61.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$6.12 ANG 10.92

-72.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$9.09 ANG 16.22

-77.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$6.45 ANG 11.52

-61.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$4.08 ANG 7.28

-56.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$3.92 ANG 7.00

-47.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$4.46 ANG 7.97

-55.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$1.96 ANG 3.49

-57.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.68

$8.18 ANG 14.61

-19.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.82

$10.85 ANG 19.37

-48.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$3.36 ANG 6.00

-60.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.60

$2.81 ANG 5.01

7.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$1.52 ANG 2.71

49.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.66

$15.15 ANG 27.04

-72.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$4.86 ANG 8.67

-82.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.31

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.42 ANG 2.53

42.25%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

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

$39.6K €34.3K

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

$148 €128

$229 ANG 410

-35.54%

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

$20.52 €17.77

$32.15 ANG 57.4

-36.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.23

$71.3 ANG 127

-44.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.72

$61.5 ANG 110

-21.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.88

$13.24 ANG 23.63

-31.27%

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

$615 €532

$380 ANG 679

61.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$11.2K ANG 19.9K

45.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.45

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €79.9

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,396

$1,931 ANG 3,447

-16.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,086

$1,876 ANG 3,348

-33.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,658

$5,653 ANG 10.1K

-45.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,764

$5,752 ANG 10.3K

-64.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,712

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,712

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,387

$1,115 ANG 1,991

43.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

5.75

-33.74%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Last update for Philipsburg: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $1,931 in Philipsburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 44% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $76.0 in Philipsburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $536 per month, with Lisbon 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 Philipsburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Philipsburg differ by about 39% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $3,160 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 44% 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: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $1,931 in Philipsburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 101% higher in Philipsburg. 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 $3,160 in Philipsburg – a 39% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Lisbon is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Philipsburg 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 Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Philipsburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.