Cost of Living Comparison Between Koh Tao and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Koh Tao and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,105 in Koh Tao versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,959 in Koh Tao versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,813 in Koh Tao versus $4,411 in Lisbon.

Living in Koh Tao costs roughly 50% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Koh Tao is 18% below, Lisbon is 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.87 ฿126

$15.91 €13.69

-75.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.52 ฿1,258

$64.8 €55.7

-40.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.53 ฿246

$10.51 €9.04

-28.35%

Cappuccino

$2.62 ฿85.5

$2.87 €2.47

-8.71%

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

$0.58 ฿18.92

$2.24 €1.93

-74.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿10.91

$1.50 €1.29

-78.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.08 ฿67.9

$3.49 €3.00

-40.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 ฿105

$3.88 €3.34

-17.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 ฿68.7

$1.14 €0.98

84.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 ฿56.5

$1.75 €1.51

-1.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 ฿67.4

$1.76 €1.51

17.05%

Eggs

$2.23 ฿72.9

$3.22 €2.77

-30.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.88 ฿617

$13.49 €11.61

39.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.44 ฿112

$7.91 €6.81

-56.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.67 ฿414

$15.87 €13.65

-20.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿106

$2.31 €1.99

39.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 ฿50.8

$1.70 €1.46

-8.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿73.5

$2.01 €1.73

11.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.9

$2.46 €2.12

-19.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿47.57

$1.84 €1.59

-20.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿44.84

$2.00 €1.72

-31.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.22

$1.93 €1.66

-48.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.11

$0.79 €0.68

-37.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.21 ฿138

$6.61 €5.68

-36.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.20 ฿594

$5.72 €4.92

218.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 ฿56.5

$1.37 €1.17

26.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 ฿82.8

$2.97 €2.56

-14.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 ฿39.68

$2.37 €2.04

-48.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.82 ฿92.0

$4.29 €3.69

-34.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.89 ฿29.06

$0.82 €0.70

8.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.24 ฿400

$18.30 €15.74

-33.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 ฿38.77

$2.06 €1.78

-42.23%

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

$25.2K ฿821.6K

$34.3K €29.5K

-26.61%

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

$30.0K ฿979.7K

$39.3K €33.8K

-23.66%

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

$121 ฿3,952

$148 €127

-18.16%

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

$13.52 ฿442

$20.52 €17.65

-34.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.76 ฿613

$39.61 €34.08

-52.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.5 ฿2,072

$47.85 €41.16

32.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.08 ฿590

$18.92 €16.28

-4.44%

Cinema Ticket

$9.65 ฿315

$9.18 €7.90

5.12%

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

$683 ฿22.3K

$614 €528

11.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K ฿524.1K

$16.0K €13.8K

-0.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.2 ฿1,933

$105 €90.0

-43.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.52 ฿1,127

$42.06 €36.18

-17.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ฿3,810

$94.0 €80.8

24.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,719

$120 €103

-30.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.1K

$1,628 €1,400

-71.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$331 ฿10.8K

$1,255 €1,080

-73.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,557 ฿50.9K

$3,030 €2,607

-48.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,110 ฿36.3K

$2,020 €1,738

-45.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,760 ฿90.1K

$7,800 €6,709

-64.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,997 ฿65.2K

$4,273 €3,675

-53.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

3.81

39.90%

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

Last update for Koh Tao: May 30, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $464 in Koh Tao and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $39.00 in Koh Tao vs $65.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $279 vs $269, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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

Koh Tao vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Koh Tao is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 100% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,657 in Koh Tao 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: $464 in Koh Tao versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $683 in Koh Tao versus $614 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Koh Tao – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $65.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,105 in Koh Tao versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Koh Tao but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Koh Tao the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Koh Tao is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lisbon, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Koh Tao 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 Koh Tao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 100% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.