Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Bangkok Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Bangkok

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $1,030 in Bangkok.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,738 in Bangkok.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $2,446 in Bangkok.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 120% more expensive than Bangkok, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Bangkok is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.77

$3.04 ฿99.2

424.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.8

$31.35 ฿1,024

102.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.97

$5.99 ฿196

73.29%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.41

$2.48 ฿81.2

12.50%

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

$2.34 €2.02

$0.72 ฿23.41

225.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.29 ฿9.56

441.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.96

$2.52 ฿82.5

36.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.38

$3.96 ฿129

-1.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.86 ฿60.9

-41.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.53

$1.39 ฿45.57

27.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.48

$1.41 ฿46.19

21.28%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.72

$2.24 ฿73.2

40.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.82

$18.21 ฿595

-24.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.92

$3.09 ฿101

159.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.41

$9.64 ฿315

61.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$3.39 ฿111

-32.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.42

$1.77 ฿57.9

-7.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.68

$2.30 ฿75.1

-15.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.17

$1.86 ฿60.8

34.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$1.65 ฿53.9

8.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.74

$1.50 ฿48.99

34.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.35 ฿44.24

45.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.49 ฿15.96

71.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.86

$4.24 ฿139

60.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.90

$15.14 ฿495

-62.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.87 ฿61.1

-25.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.61

$3.30 ฿108

-8.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.96

$1.25 ฿40.83

81.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.26

$36.61 ฿1,196

24.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.71

$1.10 ฿36.10

290.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$1.19 ฿38.91

-28.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.79

$6.29 ฿206

190.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.20 ฿39.26

65.83%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$36.3K ฿1.2M

-3.47%

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

$39.5K €34.2K

$28.9K ฿945.5K

36.68%

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

$146 €126

$88.8 ฿2,903

64.54%

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

$20.45 €17.67

$12.72 ฿416

60.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.68

$17.43 ฿570

123.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.33

$53.1 ฿1,734

-7.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.27

$10.58 ฿346

77.98%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.23

$7.62 ฿249

24.93%

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

$608 €525

$604 ฿19.7K

0.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.3K

$13.3K ฿435.0K

24.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.8

$58.5 ฿1,911

77.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.39

$38.59 ฿1,261

9.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.7

$107 ฿3,497

-13.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €104

$92.9 ฿3,037

29.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,401

$659 ฿21.5K

145.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,095

$329 ฿10.7K

285.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,634

$1,894 ฿61.9K

60.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,736

$842 ฿27.5K

138.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,621

$6,432 ฿210.2K

19.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,740

$3,416 ฿111.6K

26.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,369

$750 ฿24.5K

111.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

5.84

-34.76%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 8, 2026

Last update for Bangkok: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $659 in Bangkok. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 111% 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 $31.00 in Bangkok for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $258 per month, with Bangkok 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 Bangkok: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Bangkok differ by about 120% in total monthly costs ($2,263 vs $1,030 including rent). Bangkok is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 111% more on average, 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: $1,621 in Lisbon versus $659 in Bangkok. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Bangkok – a meal for two runs $31.00 versus $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,263 per month in Lisbon versus $1,030 in Bangkok – a 120% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,030 in Bangkok versus $2,263 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bangkok but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Bangkok 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 Bangkok 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 Bangkok gentler on the wallet – expenses run 120% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.