Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Surakarta

For one person, living is cheaper in Surakarta: $589 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $19,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon, Portugal
Surakarta, Indonesia
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Surakarta
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$589
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Surakarta

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Surakarta actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $589 in Surakarta.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • Surakarta $589

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $933 in Surakarta.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • Surakarta $933

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $1,278 in Surakarta.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • Surakarta $1,278

Living in Lisbon is roughly 275% more expensive than in Surakarta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 62% above, Surakarta is 57% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Surakarta
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.91
$1.70 Rp 30.9K
879.41%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.3
$11.39 Rp 206.4K
442.05%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.17
$3.06 Rp 55.4K
271.24%
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.66
$1.55 Rp 28.2K
91.61%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.05
$0.53 Rp 9,655
332.08%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.56
$0.23 Rp 4,143
656.52%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.05
$1.40 Rp 25.4K
142.86%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.96
$2.78 Rp 50.4K
19.06%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Surakarta
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.04
$0.86 Rp 15.6K
34.88%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.71
$0.74 Rp 13.4K
158.11%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.35
$0.75 Rp 13.5K
101.33%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.60
$1.00 Rp 18.0K
302.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.59
$7.78 Rp 141.0K
66.32%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.96
$1.62 Rp 29.4K
379.63%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.91
$5.32 Rp 96.4K
233.83%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.06
$1.97 Rp 35.7K
16.75%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.55
$1.30 Rp 23.6K
33.08%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.66
$1.80 Rp 32.5K
3.33%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.32
$1.41 Rp 25.5K
83.69%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.63
$1.36 Rp 24.7K
33.82%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$1.64 Rp 29.7K
20.12%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.32
$0.53 Rp 9,559
177.36%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$0.43 Rp 7,776
67.44%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.90
$1.93 Rp 34.9K
240.93%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.02
$8.23 Rp 149.2K
-31.83%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$1.61 Rp 29.2K
-15.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.91
$2.97 Rp 53.7K
-27.95%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Surakarta
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 €2.09
$0.41 Rp 7,394
468.29%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.68 €40.01
$11.35 Rp 205.6K
293.66%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.85 €3.45
$0.47 Rp 8,480
719.15%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.96
$0.43 Rp 7,739
148.84%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.74
$2.58 Rp 46.8K
537.98%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.97
$0.78 Rp 14.1K
182.05%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.6K
$25.0K Rp 453.6M
36.59%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.7K
$32.9K Rp 596.2M
17.70%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Surakarta
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €144
$77.7 Rp 1.4M
107.49%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.49
$2.06 Rp 37.2K
793.69%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.32
$18.73 Rp 339.3K
74.80%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Surakarta
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €39.90
$16.13 Rp 292.3K
176.19%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.10
$8.31 Rp 150.6K
129.84%
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.60
$1.88 Rp 34.1K
410.64%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Surakarta
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €598
$33.22 Rp 601.9K
1909.87%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.8K
$1,841 Rp 33.4M
856.83%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Surakarta
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.4
$58.8 Rp 1.1M
73.56%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.82
$36.70 Rp 665.0K
21.14%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €88.2
$68.2 Rp 1.2M
44.42%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$65.7 Rp 1.2M
88.35%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Surakarta
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 €1,440
$223 Rp 4.0M
622.43%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,066
$147 Rp 2.7M
708.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,812 €2,519
$559 Rp 10.1M
402.79%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,013 €1,803
$367 Rp 6.7M
448.01%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,839 €7,021
$1,102 Rp 20.0M
611.03%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,576 €4,098
$712 Rp 12.9M
542.49%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Surakarta
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,411
$155 Rp 2.8M
916.91%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
7.5
-48.67%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Surakarta: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Surakarta
$147 87.6% $1K
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
Surakarta
$147 45.9% $125
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
Surakarta
$57 76.5% $186
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
Surakarta
$98 53.6% $114
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Surakarta
$103 37.8% $63
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Surakarta
$20 68.8% $44
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Surakarta
$16 75.3% $48

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $223 in Surakarta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays about 10 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $11 in Surakarta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $147 per month, with Surakarta cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇮🇩 Surakarta
🕒 Local time
08:48 8:48 AM
15:48 3:48 PM
7 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
503,421
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18,120 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD). 1 EUR = 20,221 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.95 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Surakarta 13,120 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Surakarta

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Surakarta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Surakarta?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $589 in Surakarta, so Surakarta is about 73% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Lisbon or Surakarta?
Average pay in Lisbon is about 10 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Lisbon and in Surakarta?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $223 in Surakarta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Lisbon and Surakarta?
Childcare runs $668 in Lisbon versus $33 in Surakarta. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 85% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
At $589 in Surakarta versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Surakarta but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Surakarta the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Surakarta?
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.
Where should expats move: Lisbon or Surakarta?
Expats usually find Surakarta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 73% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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