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: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $3,125 in Philipsburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $6,156 in Philipsburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $9,187 in Philipsburg.

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 27% less than in Philipsburg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 68% above, Philipsburg 128% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$15.29 ANG 27.30

15.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$70.4 ANG 126

-10.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$8.31 ANG 14.82

39.35%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$4.23 ANG 7.55

-26.71%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$2.82 ANG 5.03

-11.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$3.94 ANG 7.03

-55.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$2.96 ANG 5.28

17.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$6.42 ANG 11.47

-46.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$2.93 ANG 5.23

-60.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$2.64 ANG 4.70

-27.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$2.51 ANG 4.48

-40.24%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$6.49 ANG 11.59

-38.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$18.68 ANG 33.34

-28.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$14.20 ANG 25.34

-43.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

$14.91 ANG 26.62

20.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$5.09 ANG 9.09

-53.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$5.07 ANG 9.04

-65.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$8.83 ANG 15.77

-79.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$7.65 ANG 13.66

-66.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$3.90 ANG 6.96

-52.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$4.11 ANG 7.33

-48.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$5.13 ANG 9.15

-70.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$1.29 ANG 2.31

-36.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$7.76 ANG 13.86

-8.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$10.90 ANG 19.45

-45.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$5.15 ANG 9.19

-74.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$2.29 ANG 4.09

3.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

$1.53 ANG 2.74

2947.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$14.82 ANG 26.45

-72.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

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

$34.1K €29.7K

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

$41.4K €36.1K

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

$169 €147

$149 ANG 265

13.50%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$32.43 ANG 57.9

-40.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$65.6 ANG 117

-48.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

$62.0 ANG 111

-21.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$10.88 ANG 19.42

-12.04%

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

$696 €607

$250 ANG 447

178.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$12.0K ANG 21.5K

44.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

$2,158 ANG 3,852

-23.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$1,998 ANG 3,566

-37.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

$6,575 ANG 11.7K

-54.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

$6,605 ANG 11.8K

-68.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

$1,128 ANG 2,014

44.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

-24.40%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Philipsburg: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $2,158 in Philipsburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 45% 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 $70.0 in Philipsburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $496 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 36% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $3,125 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 45% 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $2,158 in Philipsburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $250 in Philipsburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 79% higher in Philipsburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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 36% less than in Philipsburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.