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: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $1,105 in Paramaribo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,782 in Paramaribo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $2,459 in Paramaribo.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 105% more expensive than in Paramaribo, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Paramaribo is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$13.29 SRD 504

32.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$52.7 SRD 1,996

22.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$11.16 SRD 423

4.39%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$2.84 SRD 108

14.79%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$1.37 SRD 51.9

81.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.83 SRD 31.40

101.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$2.67 SRD 101

29.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$3.86 SRD 146

-7.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.78 SRD 67.4

-33.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.40 SRD 52.9

39.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.61 SRD 60.9

-3.11%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$2.96 SRD 112

35.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$11.19 SRD 424

18.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$6.30 SRD 239

33.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$10.23 SRD 388

78.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$4.80 SRD 182

-51.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$2.40 SRD 90.8

-27.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$3.69 SRD 140

-47.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$6.05 SRD 229

-56.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.42 SRD 53.8

33.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.99 SRD 75.4

6.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.48 SRD 56.2

-2.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$1.44 SRD 54.7

-44.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$5.76 SRD 218

21.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$7.81 SRD 296

-24.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$2.07 SRD 78.3

-34.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$3.76 SRD 143

-42.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.77 SRD 29.01

209.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

$89.8 SRD 3,401

-48.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$3.03 SRD 115

38.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$2.02 SRD 76.4

-45.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$9.87 SRD 374

74.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.12 SRD 42.49

100.89%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$24.6K SRD 930.4K

40.34%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$24.8K SRD 939.9K

67.74%

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

$171 €147

$37.20 SRD 1,409

359.35%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$25.20 SRD 955

-24.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$30.83 SRD 1,168

11.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$13.39 SRD 507

270.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$20.69 SRD 784

-5.70%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$5.12 SRD 194

97.27%

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

$699 €603

$64.0 SRD 2,425

992.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$1,747 SRD 66.2K

917.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$38.45 SRD 1,456

172.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$26.47 SRD 1,003

81.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$73.1 SRD 2,769

39.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$106 SRD 4,006

21.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$481 SRD 18.2K

245.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$262 SRD 9,917

369.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$1,158 SRD 43.9K

151.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$492 SRD 18.6K

311.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$466 SRD 17.6K

1645.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$396 SRD 15.0K

1071.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$284 SRD 10.8K

470.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

-76.38%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Paramaribo: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $481 in Paramaribo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 470% 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: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $53.0 in Paramaribo. Groceries flip the comparison at $281 vs $294, 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 105% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $1,105 including rent). Paramaribo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 470% 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $481 in Paramaribo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $64.0 in Paramaribo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,105 in Paramaribo versus $2,268 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 105% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.