Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Songkhla Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Songkhla

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $840 in Songkhla.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,358 in Songkhla.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $1,875 in Songkhla.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 170% more expensive than in Songkhla, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Songkhla is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$1.78 ฿58.7

885.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$22.16 ฿732

191.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$4.93 ฿163

136.31%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$1.59 ฿52.7

105.03%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$0.68 ฿22.59

266.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.23 ฿7.58

626.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$1.86 ฿61.4

86.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$4.90 ฿162

-26.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.63 ฿53.9

-27.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$0.93 ฿30.72

109.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.77 ฿58.6

-11.86%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.45

$1.41 ฿46.53

184.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$16.37 ฿541

-18.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$2.62 ฿86.5

221.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.71

$10.37 ฿343

75.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$3.14 ฿104

-26.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.80 ฿59.5

-3.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$2.16 ฿71.4

-10.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.29 ฿42.51

104.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.52 ฿50.1

25.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.74 ฿57.6

21.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.13 ฿37.31

27.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.97 ฿31.97

-17.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$4.48 ฿148

56.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$13.77 ฿455

-57.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.58 ฿52.3

-13.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$4.68 ฿155

-54.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.95 ฿31.41

150.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.84

$62.0 ฿2,049

-25.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$1.27 ฿41.86

229.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$0.78 ฿25.79

41.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.87

$3.96 ฿131

335.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.23 ฿40.54

82.93%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$27.1K ฿893.9K

27.40%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$31.8K ฿1.1M

30.73%

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

$171 €147

$87.3 ฿2,883

95.85%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$12.89 ฿426

47.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$18.38 ฿607

86.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.79

$48.44 ฿1,601

2.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$14.70 ฿486

32.72%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.70

$6.06 ฿200

66.67%

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

$699 €603

$566 ฿18.7K

23.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$10.8K ฿358.5K

63.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$52.4 ฿1,731

99.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.34

$34.24 ฿1,131

40.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$68.8 ฿2,273

48.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$77.3 ฿2,555

65.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$246 ฿8,114

576.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$177 ฿5,846

594.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$603 ฿19.9K

383.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$426 ฿14.1K

375.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,006

$2,124 ฿70.2K

282.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,995

$1,581 ฿52.2K

193.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$801 ฿26.5K

102.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

9.33

-59.49%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Songkhla: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $246 in Songkhla. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 102% 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 $22.00 in Songkhla for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $242 per month, with Songkhla 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 Songkhla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Songkhla differ by about 170% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $840 including rent). Songkhla is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 102% 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 $246 in Songkhla. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $566 in Songkhla. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $840 in Songkhla versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Songkhla but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Songkhla 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 Songkhla 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 Songkhla gentler on the wallet – expenses run 170% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.