Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 75% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.80

$4.70 ฿154

238.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €56.2

$45.37 ฿1,488

42.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.12

$8.43 ฿276

24.67%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.49

$2.93 ฿96.0

-2.05%

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

$2.24 €1.95

$0.69 ฿22.48

224.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.37 ฿12.04

305.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.03

$2.41 ฿79.0

44.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.37

$3.72 ฿122

4.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.99

$2.23 ฿73.2

-48.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.52

$1.83 ฿60.1

-4.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.52

$2.17 ฿71.1

-18.89%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.79

$2.21 ฿72.6

45.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.70

$19.74 ฿647

-31.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.87

$3.63 ฿119

117.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.77

$13.53 ฿444

17.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €2.00

$3.28 ฿107

-29.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.48

$1.61 ฿52.8

5.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.74

$2.41 ฿79.0

-16.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.13

$2.08 ฿68.3

18.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.60

$1.53 ฿50.1

20.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.74

$1.48 ฿48.56

35.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.67

$0.99 ฿32.42

94.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.51 ฿16.73

54.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.73

$4.41 ฿144

49.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.97

$19.38 ฿636

-70.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.78 ฿58.3

-23.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.58

$2.71 ฿88.9

9.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.06

$1.37 ฿44.96

72.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.52

$11.39 ฿374

300.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.72

$3.02 ฿99.0

42.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.99 ฿32.61

-17.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.88

$14.10 ฿462

29.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.79

$1.36 ฿44.68

51.47%

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

$34.3K €29.7K

$28.2K ฿924.7K

21.55%

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

$39.3K €34.1K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

19.42%

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

$148 €128

$122 ฿3,991

21.50%

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

$20.52 €17.80

$13.57 ฿445

51.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.37

$18.31 ฿600

116.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.51

$60.2 ฿1,975

-20.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.42

$17.14 ฿562

10.39%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.97

$8.69 ฿285

5.64%

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

$614 €533

$693 ฿22.7K

-11.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.9K

$15.7K ฿514.4K

2.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.8

$59.5 ฿1,952

75.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.49

$34.77 ฿1,140

20.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €81.5

$115 ฿3,758

-18.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €104

$83.3 ฿2,731

43.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,412

$613 ฿20.1K

165.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,089

$437 ฿14.3K

187.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,629

$2,094 ฿68.7K

44.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,753

$1,509 ฿49.5K

33.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,766

$3,749 ฿122.9K

108.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,707

$2,616 ฿85.8K

63.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,391

$508 ฿16.7K

215.57%

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 Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 216% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $45.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $293, 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 Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Phuket differ by about 75% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,265 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 216% more on average, 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket 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 Phuket 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 75% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.