Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Santa Cruz, Laguna Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Santa Cruz, Laguna

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $635 in Santa Cruz, Laguna.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $974 in Santa Cruz, Laguna.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $1,313 in Santa Cruz, Laguna.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 257% more expensive than in Santa Cruz, Laguna, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Santa Cruz, Laguna is 54% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.09

$1.64 ₱102

970.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.5

$7.96 ₱497

710.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.01

$2.77 ₱173

320.58%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.80

$1.78 ₱111

83.15%

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

$2.49 €2.14

$0.42 ₱26.14

492.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.23 ₱14.30

626.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$1.03 ₱64.0

236.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.07

$0.93 ₱57.8

284.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.64 ₱102

-28.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.67

$1.12 ₱69.7

74.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.34

$0.94 ₱58.6

65.96%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.45

$1.56 ₱97.1

157.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.41

$4.75 ₱296

179.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.24

$3.49 ₱218

141.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.68

$7.29 ₱455

150.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.48 ₱92.4

56.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$0.50 ₱31.15

246.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.47 ₱91.9

31.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.08 ₱67.2

144.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.63

$1.70 ₱106

11.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.74 ₱109

21.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.63 ₱39.03

128.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.53 ₱32.86

50.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.03

$2.98 ₱186

135.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.09

$8.65 ₱539

-31.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.17

$0.93 ₱57.9

46.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.01 ₱126

6.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.25 ₱15.51

852.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.74

$11.30 ₱705

309.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.60

$0.79 ₱49.17

430.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.94

$0.25 ₱15.59

340.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.84

$1.90 ₱118

808.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.93

$1.21 ₱75.6

85.95%

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

$34.5K €29.6K

$21.1K ₱1.3M

63.67%

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

$41.6K €35.8K

$19.2K ₱1.2M

116.80%

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

$171 €147

$87.6 ₱5,460

95.18%

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

$19.01 €16.34

$17.87 ₱1,114

6.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.48

$23.16 ₱1,444

48.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.69

$32.24 ₱2,011

54.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.77

$4.72 ₱294

313.35%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.68

$5.34 ₱333

89.14%

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

$699 €601

$132 ₱8,260

427.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$10.7K ₱668.8K

65.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.9

$29.47 ₱1,838

254.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.24

$19.28 ₱1,202

148.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.6

$70.9 ₱4,419

43.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €110

$56.1 ₱3,499

128.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,428

$273 ₱17.0K

508.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,056

$175 ₱10.9K

603.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,506

$500 ₱31.2K

482.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,740

$355 ₱22.1K

470.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €6,989

$2,640 ₱164.6K

207.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,985

$1,024 ₱63.9K

352.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,392

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

6.75

-44.00%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Santa Cruz, Laguna: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $273 in Santa Cruz, Laguna. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $8.00 in Santa Cruz, Laguna for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $156 per month, with Santa Cruz, Laguna 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 Santa Cruz, Laguna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Santa Cruz, Laguna differ by about 257% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $635 including rent). Santa Cruz, Laguna is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,402 in Lisbon and $953 in Santa Cruz, Laguna 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $273 in Santa Cruz, Laguna. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $132 in Santa Cruz, Laguna. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 80% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $635 in Santa Cruz, Laguna versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Santa Cruz, Laguna but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Santa Cruz, Laguna 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 Santa Cruz, Laguna 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 Santa Cruz, Laguna gentler on the wallet – expenses run 257% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.