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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,258 in Lisbon versus $978 in Koh Lanta.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,328 in Lisbon versus $1,737 in Koh Lanta.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,397 in Lisbon versus $2,497 in Koh Lanta.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 131% more expensive than Koh Lanta, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Koh Lanta is 27% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.82 €13.46

$3.77 ฿121

319.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.4 €54.8

$36.28 ฿1,163

77.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.37 €8.82

$6.86 ฿220

51.17%

Cappuccino

$2.89 €2.46

$2.47 ฿79.2

17.00%

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

$2.23 €1.90

$0.56 ฿17.94

298.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.32

$0.29 ฿9.23

434.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.38 €2.88

$1.98 ฿63.5

70.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 €3.32

$2.90 ฿92.8

34.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 €0.96

$1.95 ฿62.4

-42.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 €1.53

$1.70 ฿54.6

5.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.49

$2.05 ฿65.7

-14.63%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.70

$2.00 ฿64.0

58.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.50 €11.49

$17.35 ฿556

-22.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.79 €6.63

$3.23 ฿104

141.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.65 €13.32

$11.84 ฿379

32.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.94

$2.90 ฿93.1

-21.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.46

$1.46 ฿46.72

17.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.65

$2.14 ฿68.5

-9.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.52 €2.15

$1.80 ฿57.8

40.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.52

$1.39 ฿44.63

28.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 €1.74

$1.29 ฿41.36

58.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 €1.65

$0.87 ฿27.81

122.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.69

$0.43 ฿13.71

88.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.65 €5.66

$3.92 ฿126

69.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.79 €4.92

$17.63 ฿565

-67.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.14

$1.67 ฿53.5

-20.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 €2.47

$2.45 ฿78.5

18.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 €2.00

$1.14 ฿36.53

106.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.70 €38.89

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.20 €3.58

$2.49 ฿80.0

68.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.69

$0.78 ฿25.03

3.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.70 €15.91

$11.13 ฿357

68.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.78

$1.08 ฿34.55

93.52%

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

$34.6K €29.5K

$22.2K ฿711.0K

56.05%

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

$39.7K €33.7K

$26.3K ฿842.4K

50.92%

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

$146 €124

$116 ฿3,725

25.52%

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

$20.84 €17.73

$12.97 ฿416

60.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.78 €33.85

$17.34 ฿556

129.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.58 €41.35

$50.9 ฿1,633

-4.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.85 €16.04

$14.15 ฿454

33.22%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 €7.72

$7.66 ฿246

18.41%

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

$618 €526

$630 ฿20.2K

-1.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K €13.8K

$14.5K ฿465.3K

11.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.0

$56.4 ฿1,810

85.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.54 €34.50

$32.77 ฿1,051

23.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.8 €79.8

$107 ฿3,441

-12.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €104

$79.2 ฿2,538

54.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,365

$364 ฿11.7K

340.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 €1,073

$266 ฿8,519

374.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,065 €2,608

$1,217 ฿39.0K

151.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,008 €1,709

$908 ฿29.1K

121.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,702 €6,555

$2,234 ฿71.6K

244.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,367 €3,716

$1,585 ฿50.8K

175.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,638 €1,394

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

5.33

-28.52%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 13, 2026

Last update for Koh Lanta: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $364 in Koh Lanta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $64 in Lisbon vs $36 in Koh Lanta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $261 per month, with Koh Lanta 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 Koh Lanta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Koh Lanta differ by about 131% in total monthly costs ($2,258 vs $978 including rent). Koh Lanta is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,387 in Lisbon and $1,467 in Koh Lanta 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: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $364 in Koh Lanta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $618 in Lisbon versus $630 in Koh Lanta. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Koh Lanta – a meal for two runs $36.00 versus $64.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $978 in Koh Lanta versus $2,258 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Koh Lanta but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Koh Lanta 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 Koh Lanta 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 Lanta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 131% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.