Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Zamboanga Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Zamboanga

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $731 in Zamboanga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $1,099 in Zamboanga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $1,467 in Zamboanga.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 214% more expensive than in Zamboanga, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Zamboanga is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.32

$1.32 ₱82.7

1232.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$16.92 ₱1,061

271.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.09

$3.51 ₱220

229.91%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.08 ₱130

49.04%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$0.87 ₱54.2

186.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.42 ₱26.50

314.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$1.46 ₱91.6

138.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$1.99 ₱125

72.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.73 ₱108

-33.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.43 ₱89.5

33.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.11 ₱69.7

35.14%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$1.52 ₱95.0

161.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.58

$10.08 ₱632

31.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$4.06 ₱254

97.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.72

$3.16 ₱198

470.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$3.07 ₱192

-23.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.52

$1.17 ₱73.2

49.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$3.69 ₱231

-49.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$1.14 ₱71.3

123.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$1.18 ₱74.3

55.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$2.44 ₱153

-13.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.29

$0.83 ₱52.0

79.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.50 ₱31.55

64.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.18

$2.79 ₱175

154.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$4.11 ₱257

43.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$1.31 ₱82.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.96 ₱123

8.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$0.22 ₱13.80

972.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.61

$11.85 ₱743

293.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$0.77 ₱48.02

429.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.21 ₱13.16

442.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.89

$1.67 ₱105

923.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$0.97 ₱60.9

138.14%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$20.6K ₱1.3M

65.43%

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

$41.4K €36.0K

$18.5K ₱1.2M

123.46%

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

$169 €147

$122 ₱7,667

37.77%

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

$19.33 €16.84

$14.78 ₱926

30.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.20

$47.02 ₱2,947

-28.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.55

$36.01 ₱2,257

35.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.93

$4.65 ₱291

317.85%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$5.09 ₱319

88.02%

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

$696 €606

$131 ₱8,182

432.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$7,834 ₱490.9K

121.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.7

$32.17 ₱2,016

227.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.60

$18.84 ₱1,181

153.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$71.0 ₱4,448

41.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$54.5 ₱3,417

128.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,448

$263 ₱16.5K

532.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$174 ₱10.9K

618.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,583

$340 ₱21.3K

771.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,785

$354 ₱22.2K

478.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,825

$2,560 ₱160.4K

206.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,889

$1,002 ₱62.8K

345.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,421

$188 ₱11.8K

765.82%

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 12, 2026

Last update for Zamboanga: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $263 in Zamboanga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 766% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $17.00 in Zamboanga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $181 per month, with Zamboanga 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 Zamboanga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Zamboanga differ by about 214% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $731 including rent). Zamboanga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 766% 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 $263 in Zamboanga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $131 in Zamboanga. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 53% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $731 in Zamboanga versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Zamboanga but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Zamboanga 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 Zamboanga 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 Zamboanga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 214% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.