Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Surakarta Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Surakarta

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $660 in Surakarta.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $999 in Surakarta.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $1,339 in Surakarta.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 237% more expensive than Surakarta, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Surakarta is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.81

$1.50 Rp 25.9K

978.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.1

$12.10 Rp 209.0K

433.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.86

$3.16 Rp 54.5K

228.48%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$1.65 Rp 28.4K

67.88%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$0.60 Rp 10.4K

275.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.34

$0.27 Rp 4,703

481.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.98

$1.85 Rp 31.9K

88.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.42

$2.84 Rp 49.1K

40.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.15 Rp 19.8K

-6.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$0.90 Rp 15.6K

93.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.48

$0.75 Rp 12.9K

132.00%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.71

$1.23 Rp 21.3K

158.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.47

$8.99 Rp 155.2K

49.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.83

$2.89 Rp 50.0K

176.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.74

$7.27 Rp 125.5K

121.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$2.40 Rp 41.5K

-5.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.47

$1.54 Rp 26.6K

11.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$2.12 Rp 36.5K

-8.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.17

$1.39 Rp 24.1K

82.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.56

$1.37 Rp 23.7K

33.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.74

$1.65 Rp 28.5K

23.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$0.62 Rp 10.7K

219.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.46 Rp 7,868

84.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.85

$2.18 Rp 37.6K

214.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.93

$8.86 Rp 153.0K

-34.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.78 Rp 30.7K

-23.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$3.15 Rp 54.4K

-7.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$0.45 Rp 7,728

406.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.00

$10.08 Rp 174.1K

364.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.48

$0.44 Rp 7,613

827.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.29 Rp 4,983

182.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.60

$2.69 Rp 46.5K

579.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.71

$0.77 Rp 13.3K

161.04%

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

$35.3K €30.1K

$20.8K Rp 358.3M

69.94%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$35.1K Rp 606.6M

9.56%

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

$145 €124

$84.9 Rp 1.5M

71.36%

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

$20.96 €17.90

$2.22 Rp 38.4K

844.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.21

$19.77 Rp 341.3K

102.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.66

$19.77 Rp 341.3K

146.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €15.97

$6.00 Rp 103.6K

211.50%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.74

$2.21 Rp 38.2K

309.95%

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

$607 €518

$37.42 Rp 646.0K

1520.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €13.9K

$2,046 Rp 35.3M

698.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.4

$62.3 Rp 1.1M

67.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €34.97

$38.19 Rp 659.4K

7.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €79.9

$77.7 Rp 1.3M

20.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$70.9 Rp 1.2M

67.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,370

$262 Rp 4.5M

511.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,055

$156 Rp 2.7M

692.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,601

$581 Rp 10.0M

424.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,756

$331 Rp 5.7M

521.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,583

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,644

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,353

$164 Rp 2.8M

867.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

8.33

-54.26%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 26, 2026

Last update for Surakarta: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $262 in Surakarta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 867% 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 $12.00 in Surakarta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $177 per month, with Surakarta 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 Surakarta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Surakarta differ by about 237% in total monthly costs ($2,227 vs $660 including rent). Surakarta is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 867% 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: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $262 in Surakarta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $607 in Lisbon versus $37.42 in Surakarta. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 53% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $660 in Surakarta versus $2,227 in Lisbon, a $2,000 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.

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 Surakarta 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 Surakarta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 237% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.