Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manila and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Manila: $945 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $15,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$945

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manila and in Lisbon

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Manila and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $945 in Manila versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Manila $945
Lisbon $2,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,572 in Manila versus $3,275 in Lisbon.

Manila $1,572
Lisbon $3,275

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,199 in Manila versus $4,341 in Lisbon.

Manila $2,199
Lisbon $4,341

Living in Manila costs roughly 57% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Manila is 31% below, Lisbon is 62% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.34 ₱341

$16.65 €14.95

-67.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.46 ₱1,691

$61.7 €55.5

-57.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.93 ₱251

$11.36 €10.20

-65.40%

Cappuccino

$2.53 ₱162

$2.97 €2.67

-14.81%

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

$1.35 ₱86.2

$2.29 €2.06

-41.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 ₱52.2

$1.74 €1.56

-52.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 ₱72.8

$3.40 €3.06

-66.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₱152

$3.31 €2.97

-28.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 ₱122

$1.16 €1.04

64.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ₱92.1

$1.91 €1.72

-24.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ₱60.3

$1.51 €1.36

-37.75%

Eggs

$2.30 ₱147

$4.02 €3.61

-42.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.41 ₱473

$12.94 €11.62

-42.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱295

$7.77 €6.98

-40.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.65 ₱425

$17.76 €15.95

-62.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ₱211

$2.30 €2.07

43.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 ₱115

$1.73 €1.56

4.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 ₱192

$1.86 €1.67

61.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 ₱112

$2.59 €2.33

-32.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 ₱142

$1.82 €1.64

21.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 ₱170

$1.97 €1.77

35.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 ₱137

$1.47 €1.32

45.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱34.12

$0.72 €0.65

-26.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.06 ₱196

$6.58 €5.91

-53.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.57 ₱611

$5.61 €5.04

70.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 ₱83.3

$1.36 €1.22

-4.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₱127

$2.14 €1.92

-7.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₱25.83

$2.33 €2.10

-82.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.75 ₱815

$44.68 €40.14

-71.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.72 ₱45.97

$3.85 €3.46

-81.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.72

$1.07 €0.96

-78.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 ₱117

$16.46 €14.79

-88.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ₱81.0

$2.20 €1.98

-42.27%

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

$20.7K ₱1.3M

$34.2K €30.7K

-39.42%

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

$18.7K ₱1.2M

$38.7K €34.8K

-51.80%

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

$120 ₱7,641

$161 €145

-25.82%

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

$15.69 ₱1,003

$18.41 €16.54

-14.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.60 ₱1,508

$32.74 €29.41

-27.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.57 ₱2,720

$44.55 €40.02

-4.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.65 ₱361

$19.10 €17.16

-70.42%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ₱415

$9.60 €8.62

-32.29%

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

$599 ₱38.3K

$668 €600

-10.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,818 ₱563.4K

$17.6K €15.8K

-49.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 ₱3,621

$102 €91.6

-44.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.40 ₱1,751

$44.46 €39.94

-38.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.4 ₱4,878

$98.5 €88.5

-22.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.5 ₱3,546

$124 €111

-55.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 ₱33.6K

$1,608 €1,445

-67.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₱19.0K

$1,190 €1,069

-75.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,887 ₱120.5K

$2,812 €2,526

-32.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$816 ₱52.1K

$2,013 €1,808

-59.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,968 ₱253.5K

$7,839 €7,042

-49.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,366 ₱151.2K

$4,576 €4,110

-48.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$466 ₱29.8K

$1,575 €1,415

-70.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.43

3.85

92.99%

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

Last update for Manila: October 24, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Manila

$297 31.4%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8% 301% $893

Groceries & Markets

Manila

$216 22.9%

Lisbon

$272 12.3% 25.9% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manila

$159 16.8%

Lisbon

$212 9.6% 33.7% $53

Eating Out

Manila

$104 11%

Lisbon

$243 11% 133% $139

Clothing & Footwear

Manila

$97 10.3%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 70.7% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Manila

$56 5.9%

Lisbon

$64 2.9% 14.7% $8.2

Getting Around

Manila

$16 1.7%

Lisbon

$63 2.9% 289% $47

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $526 in Manila and $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays about 3.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $26 in Manila vs $62 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $216 vs $272 per month, with Manila cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Manila

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

06:04 6:04 AM

22:04 10:04 PM

8 h behind Manila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,780,148 Capital

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 63.89 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.13 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Manila Lisbon 12,140 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Manila
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Manila vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $945 in Manila and $2,210 in Lisbon, so Manila is about 57% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 70% lower in Manila. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $526 in Manila versus $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $599 in Manila versus $668 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $945 in Manila versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Manila but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Manila 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, Manila and Lisbon are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Manila gentler on the wallet – expenses run 57% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.