Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Surat Thani Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Surat Thani

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $809 in Surat Thani.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,312 in Surat Thani.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,816 in Surat Thani.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 173% more expensive than Surat Thani, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Surat Thani is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$1.90 ฿62.0

737.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$18.39 ฿601

252.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$4.68 ฿153

124.57%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$1.59 ฿51.8

80.50%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.50 ฿16.37

348.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.30 ฿9.78

400.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$2.51 ฿82.1

39.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$3.73 ฿122

4.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.92 ฿62.8

-40.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.22 ฿39.98

43.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.10 ฿35.78

60.00%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$1.89 ฿61.6

70.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$19.57 ฿639

-31.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$3.68 ฿120

114.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$7.93 ฿259

100.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$3.35 ฿110

-31.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.69 ฿55.3

0.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.12 ฿69.1

-5.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.78 ฿58.1

38.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.21 ฿39.61

52.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.45 ฿47.42

37.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.99 ฿32.20

94.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.41 ฿13.54

92.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$3.13 ฿102

111.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$18.86 ฿616

-69.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.65 ฿53.8

-16.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.69 ฿87.9

10.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.10 ฿36.05

115.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.22

$21.39 ฿699

113.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$1.06 ฿34.71

304.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.61 ฿19.90

34.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$3.67 ฿120

398.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.21 ฿39.37

70.25%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$27.8K ฿907.9K

23.31%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$33.6K ฿1.1M

16.99%

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

$148 €127

$77.4 ฿2,528

91.07%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$13.88 ฿453

47.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.10

$18.38 ฿600

115.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.19

$50.1 ฿1,636

-4.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$12.18 ฿398

55.34%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$4.49 ฿147

104.45%

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

$614 €529

$703 ฿23.0K

-12.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$16.1K ฿525.2K

-0.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$59.3 ฿1,935

76.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.21

$35.21 ฿1,150

19.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$114 ฿3,732

-17.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$84.6 ฿2,762

41.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,401

$240 ฿7,833

578.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$156 ฿5,098

704.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$693 ฿22.6K

337.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,739

$416 ฿13.6K

385.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,715

$2,094 ฿68.4K

272.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,678

$1,698 ฿55.5K

151.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,380

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 Surat Thani: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $240 in Surat Thani. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $18.00 in Surat Thani for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $255 per month, with Surat Thani 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 Surat Thani: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Surat Thani differ by about 173% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $809 including rent). Surat Thani is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,315 in Lisbon and $1,213 in Surat Thani to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $240 in Surat Thani. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $703 in Surat Thani. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $809 in Surat Thani versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Surat Thani but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Surat Thani 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 Surat Thani 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 Surat Thani gentler on the wallet – expenses run 173% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.