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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $800 in Surat Thani.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,316 in Surat Thani.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,833 in Surat Thani.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 186% more expensive than in Surat Thani, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Surat Thani is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$1.97 ฿66.1

721.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$18.49 ฿622

242.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$4.73 ฿159

118.18%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$1.52 ฿51.0

86.18%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$0.47 ฿15.95

387.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.32 ฿10.86

393.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$2.44 ฿82.0

39.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$3.67 ฿123

9.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$2.04 ฿68.5

-46.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.24 ฿41.68

41.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.11 ฿37.29

58.56%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$1.95 ฿65.7

62.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$19.67 ฿661

-32.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$3.64 ฿123

118.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$7.54 ฿253

105.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$3.26 ฿110

-27.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.70 ฿57.2

0.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$2.14 ฿71.9

-6.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$1.71 ฿57.5

42.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.21 ฿40.54

45.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.48 ฿49.79

37.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.03 ฿34.55

86.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.41 ฿13.91

107.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$3.15 ฿106

108.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$18.59 ฿625

-69.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.57 ฿52.9

-15.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.65 ฿89.2

12.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$1.10 ฿36.90

107.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$21.66 ฿728

111.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$1.11 ฿37.19

281.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.66 ฿22.29

22.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$3.66 ฿123

403.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.26 ฿42.27

65.08%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$27.8K ฿934.5K

24.77%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

18.92%

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

$148 €130

$76.9 ฿2,585

92.57%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$13.74 ฿462

48.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$18.81 ฿633

110.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$49.95 ฿1,680

-3.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

$12.18 ฿410

52.71%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$4.71 ฿158

95.75%

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

$616 €540

$682 ฿22.9K

-9.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$15.6K ฿525.7K

5.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$58.6 ฿1,972

75.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$34.37 ฿1,156

21.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$115 ฿3,863

-17.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$84.6 ฿2,846

44.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$243 ฿8,169

572.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$153 ฿5,155

703.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$691 ฿23.2K

348.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$410 ฿13.8K

395.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$2,174 ฿73.1K

260.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$1,619 ฿54.5K

171.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Surat Thani: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $243 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 $267 vs $254 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 186% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $800 including rent). Surat Thani is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,437 in Lisbon and $1,200 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $243 in Surat Thani. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $682 in Surat Thani. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $800 in Surat Thani versus $2,291 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 186% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.