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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,268 per month in Lisbon vs $1,209 in Koh Samui, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,348 per month in Lisbon vs $2,008 in Koh Samui, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,429 per month in Lisbon vs $2,806 in Koh Samui, rent included.

Lisbon costs about 88% more than Koh Samui, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Lisbon sits 64% above the global median, while Koh Samui is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$4.62 ฿153

279.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$32.89 ฿1,087

96.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$8.80 ฿291

32.39%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$2.92 ฿96.5

11.64%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$0.89 ฿29.54

179.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.49 ฿16.19

240.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$2.46 ฿81.1

41.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$3.85 ฿127

-7.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.90 ฿62.6

-37.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.43 ฿47.23

36.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.60 ฿52.9

-2.50%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$2.17 ฿71.6

84.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$20.08 ฿663

-33.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$3.41 ฿113

146.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$11.11 ฿367

64.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$3.04 ฿101

-23.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.66 ฿54.7

4.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$2.27 ฿75.2

-14.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.21 ฿73.0

19.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.50 ฿49.46

26.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.42 ฿46.92

48.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.14 ฿37.50

26.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.55 ฿18.26

45.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$4.53 ฿150

54.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$19.00 ฿628

-68.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.82 ฿60.0

-25.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.85 ฿94.1

-24.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$2.42 ฿79.8

-1.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

$45.31 ฿1,497

2.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$3.21 ฿106

30.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$1.10 ฿36.22

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$4.23 ฿140

308.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.52 ฿50.1

48.03%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$28.8K ฿952.3K

19.59%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$28.9K ฿953.3K

44.25%

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

$171 €147

$110 ฿3,627

55.64%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$11.81 ฿390

60.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$18.43 ฿609

86.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$56.9 ฿1,879

-12.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$11.82 ฿390

65.06%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$8.38 ฿277

20.53%

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

$699 €603

$629 ฿20.8K

11.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$12.7K ฿421.0K

39.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$65.0 ฿2,147

61.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$29.07 ฿961

65.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$98.4 ฿3,250

3.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$91.2 ฿3,013

40.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$628 ฿20.7K

164.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$420 ฿13.9K

192.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$1,779 ฿58.8K

63.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$1,028 ฿34.0K

96.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$3,020 ฿99.8K

169.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$2,162 ฿71.4K

114.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$393 ฿13.0K

311.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

5.57

-32.14%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Koh Samui: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,661 in Lisbon versus $628 in Koh Samui. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 312% higher in Lisbon, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $64.0 in Lisbon versus $33.00 in Koh Samui. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $281 vs $276 – making Koh Samui the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Samui: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,268 in Lisbon, $1,209 in Koh Samui – roughly 88% apart. Lisbon costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,402 per month in Lisbon and $1,814 in Koh Samui. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Koh Samui, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 2% more in Lisbon, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $64.0 in Lisbon and $33.00 in Koh Samui. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Koh Samui, where all-in costs run around $1,209, than in Lisbon at $2,268. In Koh Samui it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Koh Samui has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,209 in Koh Samui to $2,268 in Lisbon. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Koh Samui. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lisbon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.