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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,105 in Koh Tao.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,959 in Koh Tao.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $2,813 in Koh Tao.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 100% more expensive than Koh Tao, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Koh Tao is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$3.87 ฿126

311.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$38.52 ฿1,258

68.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$7.53 ฿246

39.58%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.62 ฿85.5

9.54%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.58 ฿18.92

286.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.33 ฿10.91

354.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$2.08 ฿67.9

67.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$3.21 ฿105

20.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$2.10 ฿68.7

-45.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.73 ฿56.5

1.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$2.06 ฿67.4

-14.56%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.23 ฿72.9

44.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$18.88 ฿617

-28.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$3.44 ฿112

129.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$12.67 ฿414

25.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$3.23 ฿106

-28.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.55 ฿50.8

9.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.25 ฿73.5

-10.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.99 ฿64.9

23.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.46 ฿47.57

26.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.37 ฿44.84

45.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.99 ฿32.22

94.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.49 ฿16.11

61.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$4.21 ฿138

57.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$18.20 ฿594

-68.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.73 ฿56.5

-20.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.54 ฿82.8

16.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.21 ฿39.68

95.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$2.82 ฿92.0

52.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.89 ฿29.06

-7.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$12.24 ฿400

49.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.19 ฿38.77

73.11%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$25.2K ฿821.6K

36.27%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$30.0K ฿979.7K

31.00%

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

$148 €127

$121 ฿3,952

22.20%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$13.52 ฿442

51.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$18.76 ฿613

111.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$63.5 ฿2,072

-24.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$18.08 ฿590

4.65%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$9.65 ฿315

-4.87%

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

$614 €528

$683 ฿22.3K

-10.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$16.0K ฿524.1K

0.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$59.2 ฿1,933

76.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$34.52 ฿1,127

21.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$117 ฿3,810

-19.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$83.3 ฿2,719

43.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$464 ฿15.1K

251.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$331 ฿10.8K

279.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$1,557 ฿50.9K

94.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$1,110 ฿36.3K

81.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$2,760 ฿90.1K

182.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$1,997 ฿65.2K

113.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Koh Tao: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $464 in Koh Tao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $39.00 in Koh Tao. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $279, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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

Koh Tao is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 100% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,315 in Lisbon and $1,657 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $464 in Koh Tao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $683 in Koh Tao. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Koh Tao – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $65.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,105 in Koh Tao versus $2,210 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.

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.

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.

Expats usually find Koh Tao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 100% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.