Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Samut Prakan Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Samut Prakan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $890 in Samut Prakan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $1,509 in Samut Prakan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $2,128 in Samut Prakan.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 160% more expensive than in Samut Prakan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Samut Prakan is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.87

$3.14 ฿103

450.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$15.51 ฿510

307.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.79

$7.76 ฿255

46.78%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.74

$1.49 ฿48.88

114.09%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$0.50 ฿16.59

390.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.25 ฿8.16

604.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$2.03 ฿66.6

76.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$2.82 ฿92.8

20.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.46 ฿47.87

-15.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.03 ฿33.89

92.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.09 ฿35.95

39.45%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.47

$1.79 ฿58.9

125.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.64

$12.80 ฿421

5.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.21

$2.54 ฿83.7

230.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.69

$10.50 ฿345

73.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.82 ฿59.8

25.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.03 ฿34.02

68.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.75 ฿57.4

6.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$1.35 ฿44.41

94.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.72 ฿56.6

11.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$1.05 ฿34.47

99.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.75 ฿24.63

92.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$0.43 ฿14.10

95.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$4.47 ฿147

51.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$12.10 ฿398

-52.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.53 ฿50.3

-9.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$2.24 ฿73.6

-0.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$0.51 ฿16.80

370.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.22

$30.18 ฿992

55.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$1.09 ฿35.96

282.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.20 ฿39.32

-5.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.20

$4.01 ฿132

340.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.11 ฿36.56

109.01%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$12.3K ฿403.3K

188.12%

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

$41.4K €35.6K

$24.6K ฿808.1K

68.63%

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

$170 €146

$83.3 ฿2,739

104.45%

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

$19.34 €16.62

$9.44 ฿310

104.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.92

$17.03 ฿560

97.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.35

$46.30 ฿1,522

3.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.11

$14.46 ฿475

37.62%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.53

$6.03 ฿198

64.51%

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

$717 €617

$155 ฿5,082

364.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$6,927 ฿227.8K

152.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$23.18 ฿762

351.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.36

$34.18 ฿1,124

37.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €88.9

$74.1 ฿2,436

39.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$98.0 ฿3,223

26.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,441

$486 ฿16.0K

244.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,093

$290 ฿9,520

338.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,566

$1,234 ฿40.6K

141.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,713

$827 ฿27.2K

140.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,728

$1,962 ฿64.5K

298.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,004

$1,640 ฿53.9K

184.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,361

$650 ฿21.4K

143.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

26.33%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Samut Prakan: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $486 in Samut Prakan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 143% 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 $16.00 in Samut Prakan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $200 per month, with Samut Prakan cheaper across the board.

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 Samut Prakan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Samut Prakan differ by about 160% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $890 including rent). Samut Prakan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 143% 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: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $486 in Samut Prakan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $717 in Lisbon versus $155 in Samut Prakan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $890 in Samut Prakan versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Samut Prakan but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Samut Prakan 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 Samut Prakan 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 Samut Prakan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 160% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.