Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Paramaribo Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Paramaribo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $999 in Paramaribo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,716 in Paramaribo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $2,433 in Paramaribo.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 129% more expensive than in Paramaribo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Paramaribo is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$8.27 SRD 310

95.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$42.85 SRD 1,606

47.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$10.58 SRD 397

-2.46%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$2.70 SRD 101

4.81%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$1.24 SRD 46.36

84.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.83 SRD 31.04

90.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$3.07 SRD 115

10.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$4.01 SRD 150

0.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$1.72 SRD 64.6

-36.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.28 SRD 47.88

36.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.67 SRD 62.6

5.39%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$3.50 SRD 131

-9.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$12.35 SRD 463

6.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$5.55 SRD 208

43.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$9.84 SRD 369

57.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$4.44 SRD 167

-46.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$2.04 SRD 76.6

-16.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$3.13 SRD 117

-35.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$5.39 SRD 202

-54.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.28 SRD 48.16

37.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.08 SRD 78.1

-2.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.84 SRD 69.0

4.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.48 SRD 55.6

-42.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$5.58 SRD 209

17.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$7.92 SRD 297

-29.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$2.28 SRD 85.3

-41.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$3.32 SRD 124

-10.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.46 SRD 17.19

395.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$89.4 SRD 3,352

-48.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$2.98 SRD 112

41.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$2.54 SRD 95.3

-68.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$10.07 SRD 377

83.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.10 SRD 41.23

89.09%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$24.6K SRD 920.9K

41.14%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$25.3K SRD 947.6K

54.93%

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

$148 €130

$39.43 SRD 1,478

275.48%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$26.19 SRD 982

-21.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$29.06 SRD 1,089

36.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$12.67 SRD 475

278.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

$19.82 SRD 743

-6.16%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$4.58 SRD 172

101.31%

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

$616 €540

$61.8 SRD 2,317

897.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$1,950 SRD 73.1K

742.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$36.10 SRD 1,353

184.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$28.89 SRD 1,083

44.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$75.3 SRD 2,822

25.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$110 SRD 4,133

10.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$503 SRD 18.9K

224.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$217 SRD 8,128

468.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$1,091 SRD 40.9K

184.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$568 SRD 21.3K

257.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$465 SRD 17.4K

1582.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$407 SRD 15.2K

979.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$276 SRD 10.3K

482.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

-76.19%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Paramaribo: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $503 in Paramaribo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 482% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $43.00 in Paramaribo. Groceries flip the comparison at $267 vs $286, 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 Paramaribo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Paramaribo differ by about 129% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $999 including rent). Paramaribo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 482% higher in Lisbon, 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $503 in Paramaribo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $61.8 in Paramaribo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $999 in Paramaribo versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Paramaribo but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Paramaribo 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 Paramaribo 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 Paramaribo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 129% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.