Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Surin

For one person, living is cheaper in Surin: $869 a month against $2,202 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $16,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,202
/mo nomad
Surin
🇹🇭 Thailand
$869
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Surin

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 Surin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,202 in Lisbon versus $869 in Surin.

  • Lisbon $2,202
  • Surin $869

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,274 in Lisbon versus $1,444 in Surin.

  • Lisbon $3,274
  • Surin $1,444

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $2,018 in Surin.

  • Lisbon $4,346
  • Surin $2,018

Living in Lisbon is roughly 153% more expensive than in Surin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 62% above, Surin is 36% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Surin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.04 €15.15
$3.03 ฿101
462.38%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$62.3 €55.4
$24.70 ฿826
152.19%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.02 €9.80
$7.23 ฿242
52.42%
Cappuccino
$3.12 €2.78
$1.74 ฿58.3
79.31%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.27 €2.02
$0.61 ฿20.30
272.13%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.55
$0.33 ฿10.89
427.27%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.42 €3.04
$2.20 ฿73.5
55.45%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.74 €3.33
$3.42 ฿114
9.36%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Surin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.17 €1.04
$1.57 ฿52.4
-25.48%
White Bread (500g)
$1.86 €1.66
$1.31 ฿43.79
41.98%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.54 €1.37
$1.47 ฿48.98
4.76%
Eggs
$4.06 €3.61
$1.90 ฿63.5
113.68%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.91 €11.49
$17.41 ฿582
-25.85%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.90 €7.03
$2.48 ฿83.0
218.55%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.64 €15.69
$8.89 ฿297
98.43%
Apples (1kg)
$2.26 €2.01
$2.57 ฿86.0
-12.06%
Banana (1kg)
$1.75 €1.55
$1.02 ฿34.23
71.57%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.89 €1.68
$2.48 ฿82.9
-23.79%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.56 €2.27
$2.05 ฿68.5
24.88%
Potato (1kg)
$1.85 €1.64
$1.44 ฿48.20
28.47%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.75
$0.95 ฿31.77
107.37%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.45 €1.29
$0.94 ฿31.37
54.26%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 €0.69
$0.44 ฿14.59
75.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.71 €5.97
$4.27 ฿143
57.14%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.67 €5.04
$16.36 ฿547
-65.34%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.37 €1.22
$1.57 ฿52.4
-12.74%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.11 €1.88
$3.01 ฿100
-29.90%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Surin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.32 €2.07
$0.92 ฿30.79
152.17%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.43 €39.52
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.95 €3.51
$1.37 ฿45.65
188.32%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.05 €0.93
$1.01 ฿33.73
3.96%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$17.15 €15.26
$6.04 ฿202
183.94%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.19 €1.95
$1.35 ฿45.06
62.22%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.8K €30.0K
$22.7K ฿758.4K
48.87%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.3K €34.0K
$27.1K ฿904.4K
41.40%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Surin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$164 €146
$77.8 ฿2,601
110.50%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.48 €16.43
$11.53 ฿385
60.28%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.96 €29.32
$18.68 ฿624
76.45%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Surin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.87 €40.80
$41.58 ฿1,390
10.32%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.68 €16.61
$11.45 ฿383
63.14%
Cinema Ticket
$9.75 €8.67
$6.51 ฿218
49.77%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Surin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$684 €608
$628 ฿21.0K
9.00%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.7K
$12.1K ฿405.0K
45.45%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Surin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$104 €92.3
$53.1 ฿1,773
95.51%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.20 €41.09
$27.95 ฿934
65.30%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$99.7 €88.7
$73.3 ฿2,451
35.98%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$125 €111
$68.0 ฿2,274
83.27%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Surin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,589 €1,414
$440 ฿14.7K
261.23%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,169 €1,040
$273 ฿9,126
328.14%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,851 €2,536
$1,185 ฿39.6K
140.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,993 €1,773
$714 ฿23.9K
179.10%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,793 €6,932
$1,730 ฿57.8K
350.53%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,418 €3,930
$1,518 ฿50.7K
191.02%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Surin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,600 €1,423
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
5.57
-30.88%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Last update for Surin: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Surin
$273 76.6% $896
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$273
Surin
$235 14.1% $39
Eating Out
Lisbon
$247
Surin
$88 64.3% $159
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$215
Surin
$108 49.8% $107
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$168
Surin
$100 40.6% $68
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$65
Surin
$55 16.5% $11
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Surin
$10 * 83.9% $53

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,589 in Lisbon and $440 in Surin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $25.00 in Surin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $235 per month, with Surin cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇹🇭 Surin
🕒 Local time
06:41 6:41 AM
12:41 12:41 PM
6 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
40,104
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Surin 10,840 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Surin

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 Surin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Surin?
Lisbon and Surin differ by about 153% in total monthly costs ($2,202 vs $869 including rent). Surin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Lisbon compared to Surin?
You'd need roughly $3,302 in Lisbon and $1,303 in Surin 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Lisbon and in Surin?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,589 in Lisbon versus $440 in Surin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more expensive overall: Lisbon or Surin?
All in, you'll spend $2,202 per month in Lisbon versus $869 in Surin – a 153% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $1,000 per month?
At $869 in Surin versus $2,202 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Surin but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Surin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Surin?
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 Surin safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Surin are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Lisbon or Surin?
Expats usually find Surin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 153% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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