Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Cha-am Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Cha-am

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $922 in Cha-am.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,416 in Cha-am.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,909 in Cha-am.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 140% more expensive than Cha-am, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Cha-am is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$3.00 ฿98.0

430.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$21.36 ฿698

203.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$9.02 ฿294

16.52%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.03 ฿66.2

41.38%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.64 ฿20.95

250.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.45 ฿14.70

233.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$2.53 ฿82.5

37.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$3.80 ฿124

2.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.75 ฿57.3

-34.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.39 ฿45.41

25.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.26 ฿41.22

39.68%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$1.83 ฿59.6

75.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$13.48 ฿440

0.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$3.26 ฿107

142.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$11.00 ฿359

44.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$3.16 ฿103

-26.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.34 ฿43.88

26.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.89 ฿61.8

6.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.51 ฿49.40

62.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.68 ฿54.9

9.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.27 ฿41.40

57.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.22 ฿39.76

58.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.46 ฿14.86

71.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$4.64 ฿152

42.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$16.61 ฿543

-65.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.81 ฿59.0

-24.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$3.53 ฿115

-15.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.88 ฿28.72

169.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$1.05 ฿34.44

308.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.75 ฿24.59

9.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$3.37 ฿110

443.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.32 ฿43.14

56.06%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$20.0K ฿653.8K

71.23%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$20.7K ฿675.5K

89.99%

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

$148 €127

$73.3 ฿2,394

101.68%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$13.18 ฿430

55.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$18.40 ฿601

115.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$24.52 ฿801

95.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$12.42 ฿406

52.33%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$7.81 ฿255

17.54%

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

$614 €528

$141 ฿4,591

336.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$9,354 ฿305.5K

71.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$29.97 ฿979

249.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$19.69 ฿643

113.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$61.9 ฿2,023

51.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$43.07 ฿1,407

177.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$455 ฿14.8K

258.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$368 ฿12.0K

241.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$783 ฿25.6K

286.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$689 ฿22.5K

193.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$368 ฿12.0K

335.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

5.45

-30.09%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Cha-am: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $455 in Cha-am. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 335% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $21.00 in Cha-am for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $240 per month, with Cha-am 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 Cha-am: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Cha-am differ by about 140% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $922 including rent). Cha-am is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 335% 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $455 in Cha-am. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $141 in Cha-am. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Cha-am – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $65.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $922 in Cha-am versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Cha-am but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Cha-am 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 Cha-am 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 Cha-am gentler on the wallet – expenses run 140% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.