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Last update: Oct 2026
Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Surat
For one person, living is cheaper in Surat: $799 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $16,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
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 Surat actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $799 in Surat.
Lisbon $2,210
Surat $799
Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $853 in Surat.
Lisbon $3,275
Surat $853
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $906 in Surat.
Lisbon $4,341
Surat $906
🌍
Living in Lisbon is roughly 177% more expensive than in Surat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 62% above, Surat is 41% below.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Surat
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65€14.92
$3.14₹298
430.25%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7€55.3
$10.59₹1,005
483.00%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$11.36€10.18
$3.22₹305
252.80%
Cappuccino
$2.97€2.66
$1.76₹167
68.75%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29€2.05
$0.39₹37.13
487.18%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74€1.56
$0.14₹13.58
1142.86%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$3.40€3.05
$3.21₹305
5.92%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31€2.97
$3.39₹322
-2.36%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Surat
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.16€1.04
$0.72₹68.1
61.11%
White Bread(500g)
$1.91€1.71
$0.46₹43.78
315.22%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.51€1.36
$0.72₹68.5
109.72%
Eggs
$4.02€3.60
$0.90₹85.5
346.67%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$12.94€11.59
$4.63₹439
179.48%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$7.77€6.97
$2.74₹260
183.58%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$17.76€15.92
-
-
Apples(1kg)
$2.30€2.06
$1.67₹158
37.72%
Banana(1kg)
$1.73€1.55
$0.57₹54.5
203.51%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.86€1.66
$0.76₹71.9
144.74%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.59€2.32
$0.55₹52.2
370.91%
Potato(1kg)
$1.82€1.63
$0.39₹36.78
366.67%
Onion(1kg)
$1.97€1.76
$0.43₹40.99
358.14%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.47€1.32
$0.46₹44.15
219.57%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72€0.65
$0.30₹28.04
140.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58€5.90
$4.94₹469
33.20%
Wine(Bottle)
$5.61€5.02
$7.81₹742
-28.17%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36€1.22
$1.86₹177
-26.88%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14€1.91
$3.05₹289
-29.84%
Buffalo Round(or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat)(1kg)
-
$6.18₹587
-
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Surat
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$2.33€2.09
$0.20₹18.98
1065.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$44.68€40.04
$3.21₹305
1291.90%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.85€3.45
$0.56₹53.5
587.50%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.07€0.96
$0.22₹20.90
386.36%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$16.46€14.75
$1.08₹102
1424.07%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$2.20€1.97
$1.13₹108
94.69%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K€30.6K
$11.4K₹1.1M
200.68%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K€34.7K
$18.3K₹1.7M
111.32%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Surat
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$161€144
$36.87₹3,500
337.27%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41€16.50
$3.56₹338
417.13%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74€29.34
$7.44₹706
340.05%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Surat
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$44.55€39.92
$18.56₹1,762
140.03%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10€17.11
$5.45₹517
250.46%
Cinema Ticket
$9.60€8.60
$2.98₹283
222.15%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Surat
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$668€598
$32.79₹3,113
1936.23%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$17.6K€15.8K
$937₹89.0K
1780.07%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Surat
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102€91.4
$22.65₹2,151
350.42%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46€39.85
$24.76₹2,350
79.56%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$98.5€88.3
$40.73₹3,867
141.86%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124€111
$32.31₹3,068
282.76%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Surat
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,608€1,441
$208₹19.8K
673.13%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,190€1,066
$484₹46.0K
145.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,812€2,520
$387₹36.7K
626.57%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$2,013€1,804
$241₹22.9K
733.90%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$7,839€7,025
$645₹61.2K
1115.56%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$4,576€4,100
$364₹34.5K
1158.69%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Surat
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,575€1,411
$319₹30.3K
393.67%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
3.85
9.17
-58.02%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026
Last update for Surat: October 25, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K 53.8%
Surat
$484 60.6% ↓ 59.3%$706
🛒Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272 12.3%
Surat
$102 12.8% ↓ 62.6%$170
🍽Eating Out
Lisbon
$243 11%
Surat
$81 10.1% ↓ 66.7%$162
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212 9.6%
Surat
$48 6% ↓ 77.5%$165
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166 7.5%
Surat
$54 6.8% ↓ 67.3%$112
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64 2.9%
Surat
$25 3.1% ↓ 61.5%$39
🚌Getting Around
Lisbon
$63 2.9%
Surat
$5.7 0.7% ↓ 91%$58
🏠Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$2K 46.4%
Surat
$241 26.7% ↓ 88%$1.8K
🛒Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$649 15%
Surat
$217 23.9% ↓ 66.7%$433
🍽Eating Out
Lisbon
$801 18.5%
Surat
$210 23.2% ↓ 73.8%$591
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$231 5.3%
Surat
$51 5.7% ↓ 77.7%$179
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$369 8.5%
Surat
$120 13.3% ↓ 67.3%$248
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$147 3.4%
Surat
$54 6% ↓ 62.8%$92
🚌Getting Around
Lisbon
$131 3%
Surat
$12 1.3% ↓ 91%$119
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $208 in Surat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Lisbon pays about 4.9 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.
🛒Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $11 in Surat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $102 per month, with Surat cheaper across the board.
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 Surat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Surat?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $799 in Surat, so Surat is about 64% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Lisbon or Surat?
Average pay in Lisbon is about 4.9 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 Surat?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $208 in Surat. 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 Surat?
Childcare runs $668 in Lisbon versus $33 in Surat. 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 167% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $1,000 per month?
At $799 in Surat versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Surat but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Surat the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Surat?
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.
Is Lisbon or Surat safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Surat are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Where should expats move: Lisbon or Surat?
Expats usually find Surat gentler on the wallet – expenses run 64% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.