Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Koh Tao

For one person, living is cheaper in Koh Tao: $1,045 a month against $2,202 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $13,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,202
/mo nomad
Koh Tao
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,045
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Koh Tao

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Koh Tao actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,202 in Lisbon versus $1,045 in Koh Tao.

  • Lisbon $2,202
  • Koh Tao $1,045

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,274 in Lisbon versus $1,724 in Koh Tao.

  • Lisbon $3,274
  • Koh Tao $1,724

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $2,404 in Koh Tao.

  • Lisbon $4,346
  • Koh Tao $2,404

Living in Lisbon is roughly 111% more expensive than in Koh Tao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 62% above, Koh Tao is 23% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Koh Tao
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.04 €15.15
$3.89 ฿130
338.05%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$62.3 €55.4
$27.00 ฿902
130.70%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.02 €9.80
$7.49 ฿250
47.13%
Cappuccino
$3.12 €2.78
$2.39 ฿79.8
30.54%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.27 €2.02
$0.76 ฿25.49
198.68%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.55
$0.42 ฿14.04
314.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.42 €3.04
$2.12 ฿71.0
61.32%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.74 €3.33
$3.23 ฿108
15.79%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Koh Tao
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.17 €1.04
$1.57 ฿52.6
-25.48%
White Bread (500g)
$1.86 €1.66
$1.38 ฿46.03
34.78%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.54 €1.37
$1.45 ฿48.38
6.21%
Eggs
$4.06 €3.61
$2.08 ฿69.6
95.19%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.91 €11.49
$18.21 ฿609
-29.10%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.90 €7.03
$3.27 ฿109
141.59%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.64 €15.69
$10.34 ฿346
70.60%
Apples (1kg)
$2.26 €2.01
$2.80 ฿93.5
-19.29%
Banana (1kg)
$1.75 €1.55
$1.56 ฿52.1
12.18%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.89 €1.68
$2.19 ฿73.1
-13.70%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.56 €2.27
$2.05 ฿68.4
24.88%
Potato (1kg)
$1.85 €1.64
$1.40 ฿46.78
32.14%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.75
$1.26 ฿42.08
56.35%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.45 €1.29
$1.05 ฿35.10
38.10%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 €0.69
$0.49 ฿16.31
57.14%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.71 €5.97
$4.05 ฿135
65.68%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.67 €5.04
$17.60 ฿588
-67.78%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.37 €1.22
$1.68 ฿56.0
-18.45%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.11 €1.88
$2.63 ฿88.0
-19.77%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Koh Tao
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.32 €2.07
$2.02 ฿67.5
14.85%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.43 €39.52
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.95 €3.51
$2.76 ฿92.2
43.12%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.05 €0.93
$0.98 ฿32.79
7.14%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$17.15 €15.26
$3.37 ฿113
408.90%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.19 €1.95
$1.27 ฿42.56
72.44%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.8K €30.0K
$24.6K ฿821.9K
37.37%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.3K €34.0K
$23.8K ฿796.1K
60.64%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Koh Tao
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$164 €146
$96.6 ฿3,229
69.56%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.48 €16.43
$11.21 ฿375
64.85%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.96 €29.32
$17.15 ฿573
92.19%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Koh Tao
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.87 €40.80
$55.6 ฿1,858
-17.49%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.68 €16.61
$11.50 ฿384
62.43%
Cinema Ticket
$9.75 €8.67
$7.82 ฿261
24.68%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Koh Tao
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$684 €608
$566 ฿18.9K
20.85%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.7K
$11.7K ฿389.6K
51.19%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Koh Tao
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$104 €92.3
$63.2 ฿2,112
64.17%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.20 €41.09
$28.21 ฿943
63.77%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$99.7 €88.7
$96.4 ฿3,222
3.44%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$125 €111
$88.8 ฿2,968
40.40%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Koh Tao
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,589 €1,414
$550 ฿18.4K
188.78%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,169 €1,040
$351 ฿11.7K
233.19%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,851 €2,536
$1,583 ฿52.9K
80.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,993 €1,773
$893 ฿29.8K
123.27%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,793 €6,932
$2,685 ฿89.7K
190.19%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,418 €3,930
$1,889 ฿63.1K
133.84%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Koh Tao
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,600 €1,423
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
5.57
-30.88%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Last update for Koh Tao: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Koh Tao
$351 70% $818
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$273
Koh Tao
$254 7.1% $19
Eating Out
Lisbon
$247
Koh Tao
$104 58% $143
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$215
Koh Tao
$125 41.9% $90
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$168
Koh Tao
$124 26.1% $44
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$65
Koh Tao
$71 9% $5.9
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Koh Tao
$16 * 75% $47

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,589 in Lisbon and $550 in Koh Tao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $27.00 in Koh Tao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $254 per month, with Koh Tao cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇹🇭 Koh Tao
🕒 Local time
18:00 6:00 PM
00:00 12:00 AM
6 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
1,382
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Koh Tao 10,900 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Koh Tao

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Tao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Koh Tao cheaper than Lisbon?
Koh Tao is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 111% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $3,302 in Lisbon and $1,567 in Koh Tao 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.
What is the rent difference between Lisbon and Koh Tao?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,589 in Lisbon versus $550 in Koh Tao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $684 in Lisbon versus $566 in Koh Tao. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Lisbon or in Koh Tao?
Dining out is cheaper in Koh Tao – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $62.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Lisbon or in Koh Tao?
At $1,045 in Koh Tao versus $2,202 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.
Is Lisbon or Koh Tao more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is safer, Lisbon or Koh Tao?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Koh Tao are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Koh Tao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 111% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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