Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Cruz, Laguna and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Cruz, Laguna: $616 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $19,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Santa Cruz, Laguna
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Santa Cruz, Laguna Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Santa Cruz, Laguna

🇵🇭 Philippines

$616

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Santa Cruz, Laguna 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 Santa Cruz, Laguna and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $616 in Santa Cruz, Laguna versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Santa Cruz, Laguna $616
Lisbon $2,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $911 in Santa Cruz, Laguna versus $3,275 in Lisbon.

Santa Cruz, Laguna $911
Lisbon $3,275

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,206 in Santa Cruz, Laguna versus $4,341 in Lisbon.

Santa Cruz, Laguna $1,206
Lisbon $4,341

Living in Santa Cruz, Laguna costs roughly 72% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Santa Cruz, Laguna is 55% below, Lisbon is 62% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.55 ₱98.8

$16.65 €14.95

-90.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$7.73 ₱494

$61.7 €55.5

-87.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.79 ₱178

$11.36 €10.20

-75.44%

Cappuccino

$1.76 ₱113

$2.97 €2.67

-40.74%

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

$0.37 ₱23.90

$2.29 €2.06

-83.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 ₱15.42

$1.74 €1.56

-86.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 ₱64.7

$3.40 €3.06

-70.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 ₱57.2

$3.31 €2.97

-72.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 ₱98.4

$1.16 €1.04

32.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.15 ₱73.3

$1.91 €1.72

-39.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.91 ₱57.9

$1.51 €1.36

-39.74%

Eggs

$1.52 ₱97.0

$4.02 €3.61

-62.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.82 ₱308

$12.94 €11.62

-62.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.29 ₱210

$7.77 €6.98

-57.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.20 ₱460

$17.76 €15.95

-59.46%

Apples (1kg)

$1.37 ₱87.7

$2.30 €2.07

-40.43%

Banana (1kg)

$0.49 ₱31.52

$1.73 €1.56

-71.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.43 ₱91.7

$1.86 €1.67

-23.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.06 ₱67.7

$2.59 €2.33

-59.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 ₱107

$1.82 €1.64

-8.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.68 ₱107

$1.97 €1.77

-14.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 ₱39.25

$1.47 €1.32

-58.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ₱33.12

$0.72 €0.65

-27.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.93 ₱187

$6.58 €5.91

-55.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.49 ₱543

$5.61 €5.04

51.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₱61.4

$1.36 €1.22

-29.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 ₱131

$2.14 €1.92

-3.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 ₱13.11

$2.33 €2.10

-90.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.50 ₱735

$44.68 €40.14

-74.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.76 ₱48.74

$3.85 €3.46

-80.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱14.00

$1.07 €0.96

-79.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 ₱124

$16.46 €14.79

-88.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 ₱76.5

$2.20 €1.98

-45.45%

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

$20.7K ₱1.3M

$34.2K €30.7K

-39.45%

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

$18.9K ₱1.2M

$38.7K €34.8K

-51.12%

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

$82.8 ₱5,290

$161 €145

-48.65%

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

$17.51 ₱1,118

$18.41 €16.54

-4.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.58 ₱1,443

$32.74 €29.41

-31.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.30 ₱1,744

$44.55 €40.02

-38.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.47 ₱285

$19.10 €17.16

-76.60%

Cinema Ticket

$5.03 ₱321

$9.60 €8.62

-47.60%

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

$128 ₱8,194

$668 €600

-80.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K ₱677.6K

$17.6K €15.8K

-39.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.32 ₱1,809

$102 €91.6

-72.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.21 ₱1,227

$44.46 €39.94

-56.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.6 ₱4,447

$98.5 €88.5

-29.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.7 ₱3,431

$124 €111

-56.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$219 ₱14.0K

$1,608 €1,445

-86.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$160 ₱10.2K

$1,190 €1,069

-86.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$480 ₱30.7K

$2,812 €2,526

-82.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₱19.1K

$2,013 €1,808

-85.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,453 ₱156.7K

$7,839 €7,042

-68.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,079 ₱68.9K

$4,576 €4,110

-76.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,415

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

3.85

75.32%

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

Last update for Santa Cruz, Laguna: October 25, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santa Cruz, Laguna

$160 26%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8% 643% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Santa Cruz, Laguna

$153 24.8%

Lisbon

$272 12.3% 78.1% $119

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Cruz, Laguna

$123 20%

Lisbon

$212 9.6% 72.8% $89

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Cruz, Laguna

$77 12.5%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 116% $89

Eating Out

Santa Cruz, Laguna

$51 8.3%

Lisbon

$243 11% 374% $191

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Cruz, Laguna

$37 6.1%

Lisbon

$64 2.9% 70.7% $26

Getting Around

Santa Cruz, Laguna

$14 2.3%

Lisbon

$63 2.9% 346% $49

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $219 in Santa Cruz, Laguna and $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $8 in Santa Cruz, Laguna vs $62 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $153 vs $272 per month, with Santa Cruz, Laguna cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Santa Cruz, Laguna

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

04:01 4:01 AM

20:01 8:01 PM

8 h behind Santa Cruz, Laguna

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

123,574

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

Santa Cruz, Laguna Lisbon 12,200 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Santa Cruz, Laguna
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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

Santa Cruz, Laguna vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $616 in Santa Cruz, Laguna and $2,210 in Lisbon, so Santa Cruz, Laguna is about 72% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $923 in Santa Cruz, Laguna and $3,315 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: $219 in Santa Cruz, Laguna versus $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $128 in Santa Cruz, Laguna 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 78% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $616 in Santa Cruz, Laguna versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,200 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.

Expats usually find Santa Cruz, Laguna gentler on the wallet – expenses run 72% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.