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: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $806 in Surat Thani.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $1,435 in Surat Thani.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $2,063 in Surat Thani.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 187% more expensive than in Surat Thani, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Surat Thani is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.87

$1.94 ฿63.9

791.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$18.12 ฿596

249.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.79

$4.48 ฿147

154.24%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.74

$1.52 ฿49.93

109.87%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$0.48 ฿15.69

410.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.30 ฿9.85

486.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$2.51 ฿82.6

43.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$3.74 ฿123

-9.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.84 ฿60.6

-32.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.22 ฿39.99

62.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.21 ฿39.67

25.62%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.47

$1.95 ฿64.0

107.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.64

$19.59 ฿644

-30.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.21

$3.53 ฿116

137.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.69

$7.72 ฿254

136.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$2.93 ฿96.4

-21.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.65 ฿54.2

5.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.79 ฿58.8

3.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$2.20 ฿72.3

19.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.34 ฿44.19

43.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$1.41 ฿46.45

48.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.15 ฿37.75

25.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$0.41 ฿13.49

104.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$3.04 ฿99.8

123.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$19.08 ฿628

-70.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.57 ฿51.5

-12.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$1.79 ฿58.9

24.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$1.08 ฿35.58

122.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.22

$21.27 ฿699

119.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$1.19 ฿39.24

250.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.63 ฿20.82

80.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.20

$3.62 ฿119

388.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.25 ฿41.17

85.60%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$27.0K ฿888.9K

30.71%

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

$41.4K €35.6K

$27.7K ฿909.4K

49.85%

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

$170 €146

$76.1 ฿2,502

123.85%

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

$19.34 €16.62

$11.50 ฿378

68.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.92

$17.44 ฿573

92.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.35

$48.94 ฿1,609

-1.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.11

$14.57 ฿479

36.58%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.53

$4.55 ฿150

118.02%

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

$717 €617

$574 ฿18.9K

25.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$11.7K ฿385.0K

49.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$65.0 ฿2,138

61.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.36

$29.70 ฿976

58.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €88.9

$97.6 ฿3,208

6.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$88.8 ฿2,920

39.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,441

$241 ฿7,926

595.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,093

$152 ฿5,002

735.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,566

$1,240 ฿40.8K

140.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,713

$715 ฿23.5K

178.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,728

$2,026 ฿66.6K

286.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,004

$1,621 ฿53.3K

187.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,361

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

5.57

-31.96%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Surat Thani: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $241 in Surat Thani. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $18.00 in Surat Thani for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $251 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 187% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $806 including rent). Surat Thani is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,474 in Lisbon and $1,209 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: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $241 in Surat Thani. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $717 in Lisbon versus $574 in Surat Thani. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $806 in Surat Thani versus $2,316 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 187% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.