Cost of Living Comparison Between Palawan and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Palawan and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $777 in Palawan versus $2,227 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,216 in Palawan versus $3,305 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,655 in Palawan versus $4,384 in Lisbon.

Living in Palawan costs roughly 65% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Palawan is 42% below, Lisbon is 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.64 ₱224

$16.17 €13.84

-77.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.42 ₱1,198

$64.6 €55.3

-69.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.27 ₱202

$10.38 €8.88

-68.50%

Cappuccino

$2.64 ₱163

$2.77 €2.37

-4.69%

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

$0.82 ₱50.6

$2.25 €1.92

-63.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ₱24.55

$1.57 €1.35

-74.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ₱76.1

$3.49 €2.99

-64.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 ₱133

$4.00 €3.43

-46.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱119

$1.08 €0.93

77.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 ₱75.3

$1.74 €1.49

-29.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ₱59.6

$1.74 €1.49

-44.25%

Eggs

$2.06 ₱127

$3.18 €2.72

-35.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.82 ₱482

$13.43 €11.50

-41.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.23 ₱261

$7.99 €6.84

-47.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.90 ₱487

$16.09 €13.77

-50.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ₱184

$2.28 €1.95

30.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 ₱92.4

$1.72 €1.48

-12.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.72 ₱168

$1.94 €1.66

40.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ₱98.1

$2.54 €2.18

-37.40%

Potato (1kg)

$2.28 ₱141

$1.83 €1.57

24.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.50 ₱154

$2.04 €1.75

22.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 ₱68.7

$1.98 €1.69

-43.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 ₱46.56

$0.85 €0.73

-11.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.92 ₱180

$6.85 €5.87

-57.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.00 ₱432

$5.78 €4.94

21.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 ₱72.1

$1.37 €1.18

-14.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₱122

$2.90 €2.48

-31.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₱17.42

$2.28 €1.95

-87.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.79 ₱48.48

$4.08 €3.49

-80.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱14.82

$0.82 €0.70

-70.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₱132

$18.27 €15.64

-88.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 ₱71.0

$2.01 €1.72

-42.79%

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

$26.8K ₱1.7M

$35.3K €30.2K

-23.98%

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

$20.1K ₱1.2M

$38.5K €32.9K

-47.81%

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

$115 ₱7,066

$145 €124

-21.20%

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

$33.00 ₱2,036

$20.96 €17.94

57.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.96 ₱1,725

$40.05 €34.29

-30.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.00 ₱2,097

$48.79 €41.76

-30.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.38 ₱270

$18.69 €16.00

-76.57%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ₱365

$9.06 €7.76

-34.66%

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

$149 ₱9,178

$607 €519

-75.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,320 ₱266.5K

$16.3K €14.0K

-73.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.87 ₱2,829

$105 €89.6

-56.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.30 ₱1,622

$40.95 €35.06

-35.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,723

$93.6 €80.1

-18.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.5 ₱3,299

$119 €101

-54.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$265 ₱16.3K

$1,604 €1,373

-83.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$180 ₱11.1K

$1,236 €1,058

-85.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$588 ₱36.3K

$3,046 €2,607

-80.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$387 ₱23.8K

$2,057 €1,761

-81.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,309 ₱142.4K

$7,709 €6,599

-70.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$823 ₱50.7K

$4,266 €3,652

-80.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

3.81

75.07%

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

Last update for Palawan: April 27, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $265 in Palawan and $1,604 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $19.00 in Palawan vs $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $204 vs $271 per month, with Palawan 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

Palawan vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Palawan and Lisbon differ by about 187% in total monthly costs ($777 vs $2,227 including rent). Palawan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,166 in Palawan and $3,341 in Lisbon 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: $265 in Palawan versus $1,604 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $777 per month in Palawan versus $2,227 in Lisbon – a 187% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $777 in Palawan versus $2,227 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Palawan but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Palawan 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, Palawan and Lisbon 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 Palawan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 187% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.